


Such Good Times

by Ultra



Category: Smallville
Genre: Alternate Universe, Arguing, Based on a song, Car Accidents, Drama, Drama & Romance, F/M, Fake Marriage, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Love, Tension, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-06-09
Updated: 2008-06-09
Packaged: 2018-11-21 04:47:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 37,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11350170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultra/pseuds/Ultra
Summary: AU. Chloe Sullivan is working as a waitress in a cocktail bar; Lex Luthor frequents that bar and the two have become good friends. When Lex's father passes away, leaving everything to his son, there are conditions. He must be married to inherit, and so Chloe agrees to help him out. Their friendship is then tested more than either of them could ever have imagined!Inspired by the song 'Don't You Want Me' by The Human League.





	1. Chapter 1

_Present Day - 15th December 2007_

Chloe burst through the doors into the office from the hall, attempting to stop the tears that still wanted to roll down her flushed cheeks. It was ridiculous, the pain and sadness ought to have been faked and yet it all felt terribly real as she stood here in this room, taking in the familiar surroundings that it was now time to leave behind. Two years ago today she had stood here in her wedding dress, shaking with nerves as she contemplated what she was about to do, what she was getting herself into. Now, she realised she’d completely misjudged the situation, now she hated the agreement she had made back then. Things could have been so different, but it was too late and too much had happened now.

Taking a deep breath, Chloe wiped her face with both hands to remove the tear stains from her cheeks, and moved across the room to where her bag was secretly hidden. Her watch told her that her performance had been timed to perfection, the driver would have the car ready in the garage beneath the mansion, but Chloe couldn’t just leave.

This room, this house, it held too many memories, each one as beautiful and painful as the one before. It was strange and almost agonising to realise there would be no more. It shouldn’t matter of course, she should be perfectly happy to walk out of here, proud of her achievements, proud of how she’d helped a friend out of a fix, but she couldn’t concentrate on those things. That friend, as he had once been, no longer held that title, and Chloe had to concentrate to keep her breathing even and the tears away at the very thought of how her losses in this far out-weighed the gain.

Turning towards the door by which she’d entered, making to leave with her head held high, she didn’t quite make it. Chloe’s breath caught in her throat as she realised her exit was now blocked, and by the very man she was trying to find a way to walk out on.

“You were impressive in there,” he told her, removing one hand from his pocket to gesture vaguely down the hall. “You played the wronged woman to perfection,” he half-smiled as he walked towards her.

“I’ve had some practice,” she reminded him, with a sniff. “Anyway, it’s done now. Time for me to go,” she said, with a faked grin that broke the moment she’d stepped past him.

“Chloe...” he called behind her and though she stopped walking she daren’t turn back. “How did we come to this?” he asked her.

“We committed the worst kind of sin, Lex,” she said flatly, sparing him but one second glance before continuing on her way. “We mixed business with pleasure.”

_Two Years Earlier - 20th November 2005_

Surrounded by the rich and famous, amongst the hustle and bustle of some crazy party atmosphere, this was the last place that Lex Luthor wanted to be. He ought to feel right at home, and was sure he would tonight, if not for the fact he had other things on his mind. Vivanta was normally his favourite place just to go and chill out for a while, though lately business and family matters had taken him away from his hang out that he liked so much.

It was all his father's fault, though even Lex couldn’t find it in his somewhat cold heart to blame the man in question. Lionel Luthor had been far from the perfect dad whilst Alexander was growing up, and yet his illness and subsequent death was not something Lex had coped hugely well with. It meant he was actually alone in the world now, very literally. Friends and girlfriends had come and gone from his life, some more than others by his own fault. Nevertheless, with his mother having passed away years ago when he was just a child, and his father having now followed the same path, that left only Lex, with an apartment in Metropolis that he already found too vast, and a mansion in Smallville that would be even moreso.

It seemed that his father had foreseen the problem of Lex being alone and wanted something done about it. Lex physically winced as he played over the words he’d had read to him from Lionel’s will. Whilst the part stating that everything was to be left to Lex came as no big surprise, the conditions on his keeping everything he had inherited had brought on a fit of first stunned laughter and then cursing that would make a sailor blush!

“Lex?” he suddenly heard his name and glanced up at the familiar eyes and smile of his favourite bartender. “For a while there I wondered if you were ever coming back to us.”

“Come on, Chloe.” He rolled his eyes at the pretty blonde. “You know your charm will always lure me back here eventually,” he teased.

“And you know that flattery gets you nowhere with me, Mr Luthor,” she told him, but was smiling none the less as she got him his usual drink on automatic and placed it on the bar in front of him. “Y’know I am sorry about your dad,” she said suddenly, her smile faltering. “I wasn’t going to mention but...”

“Thank you, Chloe,” he said, putting his hand over hers on the bar. “You might just be the first person to mean those words so genuinely, but then I suppose it is helped by the fact you spent so little time in my fathers company,” he smirked.

“I know what it is to lose a parent,” she reminded him. “Okay, so my Mom isn’t gone in the same way but... well, you know,” she shrugged, knowing he’d understand without further explanation that would only upset her if she had to give it.

He nodded that he understood as she excused herself to go serve other patrons waiting for drinks, but promised to be back to talk with him later.

Alone once again, Lex let out a long breath and watched Chloe working. Guys whose best friend, or only friend, was a bartender were not often the most stable of men, and yet his connection with Chloe Sullivan wasn’t fuelled by the alcohol he drank here at the cocktail bar that was Vivanta. No, he and Chloe were real friends, in the truest sense, in that they knew every little thing about each other, more-or-less anyway.

It was crazy, they were from such different words, they shouldn’t get along so well, he one of the worlds few billionaire businessmen, and she a lowly bartender and waitress. Of course, Chloe aspired to more than that, and Lex had happily listened to her ramble on for hours about the career she was sure she was destined to have at the Daily Planet as the best reporter Metropolis, hell, even the world had ever seen. Right now she was studying hard at college, and paying her way quite easily via the top-end lower class wage she earnt at Vivanta. It wasn’t all about serving drinks and smiling politely. Secret meetings took place here, which led to Chloe and her fellow staff earning a pretty penny for keeping their mouths shut about what they heard within these walls. If not for the crush a certain Mr Queen had on Chloe’s cousin, Lois Lane, Miss Sullivan knew she never even would have scored the job here. It was one of the luckiest events in her young life and she only hoped that particular luck did not run out.

Glancing down the bar Chloe saw Lex staring into his drink as if he hoped it held the answer to his problems. Of course it didn’t, but Chloe hoped she might. She seemed to be the only one that could raise a smile in her favourite billionaire and made it her business to do just that each and every time he’d had a bad day. It might’ve been just another part of her job but not where the young Mr Luthor was concerned. He and Chloe were the strangest pair of best friends, nothing more, nothing less, at least not until tonight.

Heading back down the bar, she told her fellow bartender she was going on her break, drew off a shot of vodka and moved onto the other side of the bar, taking a seat beside a glum looking Lex Luthor.

“Okay, spill,” she said, giving him a look, and he gazed back at her. “Come on, Luthor, something’s on your mind, and I don’t believe it’s all about your father.”

“For once, Chloe, I’m afraid you’re wrong.” Lex sighed, sipping at his scotch. “Though it’s not my father's passing that is my real problem, the issue I have is almost completely his doing.”

“Okay, explain,” Chloe said with a frown, taking a sip of her own drink as she listened and he told her all.

“My father has put certain conditions on my inheritance, including the mansion in Smallville, his shares in all the businesses, and every asset.” Lex sighed.

“What kind of conditions?” the blonde wanted to know, “I mean there’s no way you haven’t totally proved yourself as the model businessman...”

“Unfortunately, my father wasn’t only interested in my business acumen.” Lex smirked. “He was very interested, however, in ensuring the family line is continued,” he said, with a look as the cogs in Chloe’s head turned enough that she figured out what he was saying.

“Wait a second,” she shook her head in disbelief. “You’re saying you can’t inherit any of your fathers money or anything until you, what? Have a son?”

“Not quite,” Lex told her, finishing off his drink, “but I do have to guarantee the stability of the Luthor family tree by marrying a woman of certain specification within the next month, or else allow everything I’ve been working towards all my life to fall into the hands of God only knows who,” he said with a humourless laugh as Chloe’s eyes widened.

“Lex, that’s... How could our father put you in that position?” she asked, though the question was pointless, since she already knew the answer.

Lionel was so twisted he could make a double helix look straight, and even now he was determined to make Lex’s life difficult from beyond the grave. Unfortunately, before Chloe had a chance to talk to her friend about his problem further her boss appeared and summoned her back behind the bar. Her protests that she was just taking her break fell on deaf ears as he pressed his point, telling her he needed to talk to her in the office right now.

With a sigh and apology to Lex, Chloe promised to be right back and headed off behind the bar with her boss. When securely in the office out of everyone’s ear shot, Chloe folded her arms across her chest and looked somewhat peeved.

“What’s up, Matt?” she asked him, since she couldn’t imagine what had been so important as to pull her away from her friend during her break.

“Chloe,” Matt sighed, sitting down behind his desk and running both hands back through is hair. “God, how do I say this?” he asked himself.

“How about you open your mouth and just let the words come out before we use up my entire break here?” Chloe suggested in her usual forward manner that Matt was well accustomed to.

He smiled at her phrasing but the look was fleeting before he turned serious again and leaned forward with his elbows on the desk.

“You know you’re a great worker, right, Chloe?” he told her. “And with or without the favour we both know helped you land a job here, I would hire you now without question on your work ethic alone,” he told her firmly.

“Why do I think there’s a but coming here?” Chloe said, looking equal parts angry and concerned, after all this was starting to look like a speech that ended with her losing her job here, though she wasn’t sure she understood why yet.

“The fact is the great reference you got courtesy of Mr Queen has been... revoked,” he offered as his own suggested word and Chloe turned her eyes heavenward.

“Damn you, Lois!” she yelled, stamping a foot in frustration. “He found out about her and Clark didn’t he?” she asked Matt who shook his head.

“Mr Queen didn’t tell me why, he just said he’d take his business - and a lot of other people's business - elsewhere if I didn’t keep Lois Lane and any of her associates out of Vivanta,” Matt said, looking terribly guilty about even having to say this to her.

Chloe was one of the best workers he’d ever had, and if it was up to him he would not be firing her, in fact he’d be promoting her instead. As it was, he couldn’t afford to lose half or more of his clientele, and Oliver Queen had enough pull to make it happen, in much the same way that he made certain the woman he adored, Lois Lane, got everything she wanted, including a favour for her cousin who was desperate for a job that paid well.

If what Chloe said was true, it would seem Miss Lane had happily taken all that her admirer would offer, without giving anything in return. In fact, it seemed she had another admirer who’s advances she found much less questionable. Finding out he’d been taken for a ride wasn’t going to thrill any man, but one so powerful as Oliver Queen would doubtless be doubly pissed.

Chloe was hardly less angry as she muttered something about getting her stuff together, before storming from the office. Sometimes she hated guys with money and power. In a lot of ways she had to respect them, and she couldn’t exactly blame Oliver Queen for all this, Lois was as much to blame for playing two guys off against each other the way she had.

The look on Chloe’s face when she emerged into the bar area told Lex she was far from happy, and that her talk with the manager had gone far from well.

“What happened?” he asked, looking genuinely concerned as she approached him.

“Not here,” she said with a shake of her head, “Can we go somewhere?” she asked, and he agreed immediately, getting up from his stool and walking with her to the exit.

It suddenly occurred to both of them as they stepped out onto the street and the cold night air hit them that this was a little odd. They were practically best friends, and yet they had never seen each other purposefully outside of the bar. Their meetings and conversations were always there, with Chloe working and Lex either de-stressing after a tough day or meeting some fellow rich and powerful businessman to cut a deal. They didn’t spend time together outside of the bubble that was Vivanta, until now. Without a word the pair just started walking, down the street, around the corner and across into the park on the opposite side of the road, where Chloe dropped down onto a bench and Lex joined her, still in silence.

“I was fired,” she said flatly then.

“Chloe, if this has something to do with our friendship...” Lex said guilty, hating to think he might be the cause of her problems.

“No, Lex, it has nothing to do to you.” She smiled slightly at his concern, as she put a hand to his arm, reassuring him that this was really not his fault. “No, the hand up I got from Lois’ admirer, Oliver Queen, has just been taken away and left me to fall flat on my face,” she sighed. “Oliver found out Lois has a new boyfriend, and he’s not happy with anybody associated with her - especially the cousin he helped get a job - be anywhere near his favourite hang out.”

“You know I never did like that Queen,” Lex said seriously. “I can deal with this, Chloe, if you want me to.”

“Hey, whoa on the white charger routine, Luthor.” Chloe laughed lightly. “I already had one rich guy mess with my employment, I think this time I’ll go it alone,” she told him with a good-natured smile. “I appreciate the offer though,” she said definitely, after all she was going to need cash from somewhere and fast if she was going to keep her place in college and the life to which she was accustomed.

“Come on, Chloe,” Lex urged her. “Let me do something to help you,” he practically begged as he turned sideways on the wooden seat and looked at her with almost pleading eyes. “What’s the point in my being one of the richest guys in the world if I can’t use what I have to help those I care about most?”

“Lex,” she sighed, “if I was your friend just because I wanted your money, I’d’ve seduced you and married you by now,” she said rolling her eyes as she got to her feet once again.

Considering she was often famed for having an answer to everything, Lex ought to have been proud that his next question rendered Chloe speechless, and yet that wasn’t really the first thing that came to mind. In fact, he was almost as shocked as she was that he’d said it just moments after the words had left his lips.

“Then why don’t you?” he said as she turned wide eyes upon him. “Chloe, why don’t you marry me?”


	2. Chapter 2

_Present Day - 15th December 2007_

“Lex, come on,” Chloe said, wriggling her arm free of his gentle grip. “You know I have to go” she reminded him, almost angry that he’d stopped her when she was so close to the door, and yet strangely pleased that he had.

“You can’t spare a minute for one last drink with your husband?” he checked, eyes boring into hers in that way that never failed to hypnotise her, and all at once Chloe found herself nodding, agreeing to his suggestion.

Of course she wasn’t so weak that she agreed to everything he ever said, but he had that way of looking at her that just made her insides melt. They argued and fought at times, indeed some of their disagreements were practically worthy of being listed as world wars and yet they were the strangest of perfect matches. Both as stubborn as each other, both as smart and resourceful too. They’d been the best of friends, and now here they stood, having passed through the stages of business partners, husband and wife, and a hundred other relationships that all ended here in this spot, at this moment. It was tangibly painful to part, and yet just as difficult to stay.

Lex knew he was being a fool to himself, encouraging Chloe to stay a moment longer than she needed to, and yet he would freely admit to being a glutton for this particular punishment. He was not one to dwell on ifs and maybes or what might’ve been as a general rule, and yet here in this moment it was all he could think about. Lex knew little of real regret but he felt it now, knew that when Chloe walked out of the mansion tonight his heart would break at the prospect of them never again being so close as they had been these past two years as husband and wife.

“One drink,” she almost whispered, though the words were meant strongly, this he knew from her expression.

Lex had learnt all of Chloe’s facial expressions, body language, and tones of voice. They were all catalogued in his brain and he had learnt quite well how best to respond to each and every one, or so he thought. Just once in a while she would throw him for a loop, confuse him entirely, and honestly, Lex wouldn’t be at all stunned to realise that this was just one of the many reasons why he loved to have her around, why he was so loathe to let her leave like this. It seemed abrupt and cold, despite the fact it was all a mere business arrangement and one that had been well planned since the day they said ‘I do’.

With an unreadable expression of his own, Lex poured whiskey into two glasses and handed one to the woman who had been his wife now for two years, and yet would cease to be that just as soon as it could be arranged.

“To us?” he suggested, holding his own glass out a little for her to accept the toast with a clink.

Chloe did the opposite, pulling her glass in close to her chest and staring down at the golden liquid as it slid around inside its crystal home.

“There is no us, Lex,” she said, her tone more flat than cold as her eyes shot up to meet his for just a moment and she downed her drink in one.

_Two Years Earlier - 20th November 2005_

“Come on, Chloe, why not?” Lex asked her as she hurried out of the park and he gave chase. “Why shouldn’t people believe there’s something between us?”

“Because there is no us, Lex!” she snapped, looking back at him just briefly as she strode on through the dark. “Sure, we’re friends and that’s great, but that does not mean I’m suddenly going to marry you just because I lost my job and your father was a power-crazed ass-hole!” she raved as she continued walking, not sure where she was going, only that she had to get out of this insane conversation.

Lex gave chase, feeling awful that he seemed to have offended her. Usually every move he made was so well-planned, so carefully thought out. Snap decisions were for idiots, he was all about thinking ahead to the consequences, ensuring he did nothing that might bring bad results or worse abject failure. Where Chloe was concerned, he had found himself less able to make rational choices. He’d told her things in the past that he never told anyone else, and never would. Now here he was realising he had made the foolish mistake of offering this unique young woman his hand in marriage!

Of all the stupid things he could say or do, this was the icing on the cake as far as Lex was concerned. He wasn’t quite sure where the idea had come from. All of sudden it all just clicked into place in his head and the words were coming out of his mouth before his brain had really processed the sentence. Now he realised how idiotic it was to spring such a question on a woman with whom he had experienced nothing close to a romance. They were friends, best friends perhaps, though the concept would seem exceedingly odd to an outsider, he was sure. Still, the idea of them being closer, to the point of planning a wedding was ridiculous, wasn’t it?

“Chloe, I’m sorry,” he said as he made a grab at her arm and spun her around to face him.

She could’ve pulled away and kept on running, but she didn’t. The little blonde knew as well as he did that he felt awful for his silly mistake. What a question to drop on a person out of the blue! It was nothing short of insane, though Chloe considered that perhaps what caused her more discomfort than the sudden proposal was the fact a part of her didn’t actually feel that weird about it. Somewhere deep within Chloe’s heart gave way at the sound of those words. Marry Lex? She couldn’t possibly, that was her over-riding reaction, and yet a little voice inside her gave an immediately positive answer to the overly sudden question. She couldn’t explain it, and right now she didn’t have time to. Lex looked so desperately sorry for his error and he had been such a great friend. She had no real reason to be mad at him, and only wanted him to know that.

“It’s okay,” she sighed. “You just, you kind of surprised me,” she admitted with an almost amused smile which he returned.

It was such a bizarre situation, there was little or no other reaction that was more suitable.

“Honestly, I surprised myself,” Lex admitted, apparently just now noticing how he still had a hold of Chloe, and retracting his hands from her arms immediately, running a hand over his bald head. “Of all the awkward situations I’ve found myself in this might just make the top ten” he said, looking strangely nervous compared to his usual confidence that Chloe was so used to.

“Really? You’re lucky.” She shook her head. “This doesn’t even make my Awkwardness Top 40,” she told him, which was a partial lie, but at least it seemed to put him at a little more ease. “And y’know there may even have been a little logic to your madness for a second there,” she admitted, knowing that a union between them would certainly make light work of fixing both their problems - his need for a wife, her need for cash.

As soon as she’d said it, Chloe started to regret the words that had escaped her lips. After practically running screaming from this man’s proposal, she was now standing here telling him it maybe wasn’t the worst idea in the world? She was insane! As insane as he was for ever suggesting it, but then, when had sanity ever done her any favours before?

“Chloe,” Lex breathed her name. “I know I kind of sprung the idea on you, and like I said I surprised myself almost as much as I stunned you,” he admitted, “but is it really so crazy?” he asked her, knowing it probably was and yet unable to think of a single woman on the planet he could be happier pretending to be married to.

“I... I guess its not completely crazy,” Chloe admitted, feeling weird about all this.

Here was her billionaire best friend, whom she’d never once seen outside of the bar where she worked, now suddenly out here in the middle of a park, way past midnight, asking her if she’d do him a favour and be his wife for a while. In exchange, she was clearly going to get paid, which on the surface came off a little on the red light side, and yet in a lot of ways it did make some sense.

She opened her mouth to speak again, just as a stranger walking a dog came by, reminding her they were in the middle of nowhere, and just about anybody could be watching them or listening to their conversation.

“Maybe we should go somewhere else to talk about this?” she suggested in a quiet voice, to which Lex responded with a single nod.

They headed off walking briskly and were soon back outside the club where Lex’s car, complete with driver, still waited. Opening the door for her like the gentleman he was, the billionaire ushered his lady friend into the back of the limousine and then joined her, immediately instructing his driver to take them home. Chloe knew that meant Lex’s much mentioned penthouse apartment and her eyes lit up at the prospect of seeing the place. She wasn’t shallow or hugely material in any way, and yet the idea of sharing in the rich and famous lifestyle that Lex had, even for just a few hours, was a pretty exciting prospect.

The car ride was mostly silent as Lex and Chloe both kept their eyes out of the side windows of the vehicle, watching the brightly lit city speed past them. When they arrived at the apartment block, the driver was despatched for the night and the unlikely couple took the longest elevator ride of the young blonde’s life up to the penthouse.

“Welcome to my humble abode,” Lex joked with an appropriate smirk as they arrived at his door and he unlocked and opened it wide.

Chloe had expected something big and fancy, but this was beyond even what she of the over-vivid imagination could have conjured up.

“Oh my God!” she gasped as she took in the place. “You could literally fit my entire house in this place, and still have room for an over-sized walk-in closet to spare,,” she said, as Lex smiled at her enthusiasm and crossed to the drinks cabinet.

“To be honest, it is ridiculously big for one person, but I suppose I’m just used to a lot of space, growing up in a mansion and everything” he explained as he turned to face Chloe. “Drink?” he asked, to which she nodded.

She knew she was going to need it if they were seriously going to talk about that question he’d asked her. Okay, so it wasn’t like a real marriage proposal, he didn’t love her or anything like that, but it was a serious proposition that she needed to get her head around, without turning into the gibbering wreck she was occasionally prone to become, whenever good looking guys asked her serious questions.

* * *

Chloe was getting a little annoyed by the high-pitched female giggling that was ringing like a bell through her head, mostly because she knew she was the person guilty of making the awful sound. She really only sounded so girly when she’d been drinking, and even then she could usually hold her own. As it was, she’d wanted to look business-like and clever in front of Lex and so for every scotch he’d poured himself she’d plumped for the same shot. Now here they were at either end of an over-sized leather couch, talking about all kinds of silly things and laughing at most of them too.

It was a little odd for Lex to realise he was actually kind of drunk. He didn’t get light-headed easily and usually took great care not to be out-of-control. As it was, he’d had rather a lot of single malt on a mostly empty stomach, and was currently finding Chloe and her infectious laughter almost as intoxicating as the beverage in his hand.

As the laughter started to die for a moment, an oddly solemn expression crossed Chloe’s face and Lex suddenly found her staring quite seriously at him, her head leaning against the couch cushions because it wasn’t quite able to stay upright on its own anymore.

“Were you serious? Like seriously serious?” she checked, hiccuping slightly and apologising immediately as she blushed.

“About the thing with the cat and the dynamite? Completely serious,” Lex vowed, raising his hand in an appropriate salute as he added. “Scouts Honour.”

“Like you were ever a boy scout, Mr Luthor,” Chloe snorted, moving to put her empty glass down on the coffee table and doing so somewhat unsteadily before falling back into the cushions with a sigh. “And I didn’t mean that part, I meant before,” she told Lex as he stared across at her. “I meant the marriage thing.”

“Oh.” he nodded once, realising they’d done a truly wonderful job of avoiding the very topic they’d come here to talk about these past three hours together. “Chloe, I rarely if ever say anything I don’t mean,” he told her solemnly, “but I understand that I shocked you, and it was a hell of thing to come out of nowhere but-”

“I will,” she said, speaking over his words and leaving him wondering if he’d just imagined the response he thought he’d heard.

“You what?” he checked, just to be sure and she smiled as she moved along the couch, up close to him.

“I will marry you, Lex,” she said with a smile. “If you still want to?”

For a moment the young Luthor lost himself in her perfect eyes as they gazed into his own. He could marry this girl, he could love her and take care of her, they could be perfect for each other, and he might just turn out to be the first in his family to get a real happily ever after. His dreams were soon shattered, and Lex came back to reality with a resounding thump, as he recalled the reasons behind his proposal to Chloe Sullivan, and the nature of their marriage, should they have one.

“I’d be honoured, Chloe,” he told her too seriously, sending her into fits of giggles, presumably because she thought their play-acting was all very amusing.

“Okay, so we need a pen and... um, something to write on...” she began rambling as she pulled herself up onto unsteady feet and stumbled around the large apartment, unsuccessfully trying to locate the writing implement and paper supply she spoke of.

Almost tripping over her own purse led to Chloe deciding to search said item for what she was looking for.

“Perfect!” she declared, stumbling back to the couch where Lex waited, having watched the whole scene with amusement.

“What are you doing?” he asked as Chloe concentrated hard on what she was writing.

She only shook her head and waved a hand at him in a vague gesture that meant he was to be quiet until she was done. She muttered a few words as her pencil moved quickly across the page. Lex was quite stunned by the rate at which she could do that, since her speech and co-ordination were considerably impaired. Chloe was definitely a born writer, it seemed.

“Okay, done,” she declared at last, showing him her work of which she appeared to be so proud.

“We, the undersigned,” Lex read, though it was a challenge since it seemed her penmanship at least was suffering the effects of the alcohol, “agree to get married so that the rich party gets richer and the poor party can afford college and other essentials in the absence of her high-paid bar job,” Lex continued to read aloud, amusement filling his features. “We promise to act married in front of everyone, without exceptions, and to remain best friends behind closed doors,” he smiled, glancing her way as he finished the last line. “Sounds fair,” he agreed. “Though I think we’d be better off with a real agreement drawn up by lawyers.”

“Whatever, Lex!” Chloe rolled her eyes. “This will do for now,” she said, almost tearing the paper as she grabbed it back from his hand.

With a flick of her pencil she signed her name on one of the somewhat wiggly lines she’d drawn below, then handed both pencil and paper over to Lex. In spite of the fact the document was hardly legally binding and that they were both not of sound mind anyway after so much alcohol, it wouldn’t matter whether Lex signed or not, and yet something in the back of his mind told him this was a bad plan.

It was the solution to his problem and hers, and they were promising to be best friends no matter what. All of that was good, and in his slightly inebriated state he could suddenly find no real downsides to the plan.

In a moment it was done, his fancy yet neat signature flowed across the other line next to Chloe’s own, and the deal was sealed.


	3. Chapter 3

_Present Day - 15th December 2007_

“I said one drink,” Chloe sighed in complaint as Lex reached over to refill the glass she held, though she made no real attempt to stop him.

“We both know there’s no harm in you having two these days,” he told her, topping up his own drink too. “Besides which, if not for alcohol we might never have been brave enough to make that deal two years ago,” he remarked.

She shook her head.

“In retrospect, that might have been a good thing,” she said, looking up at him through her lashes, before making light work of her drink, if only because she hoped it would numb the ache in her heart a little more.

“That hurts, Chloe,” Lex told her, looking genuinely wounded by her words.

Still his pain was nothing compared to hers as she looked up at him then, tears evidently welling up.

“Tell me about it,” she said, as one lone drop slid down her cheek.

She wiped it away before Lex barely noticed it was there, and slamming her glass down on the bar she made for the door once again. This time when he called for her, she didn’t stop. She took her bag, she headed on out the door, and she didn’t look back, all the time thinking, ‘Why the hell didn’t I do this in the first place?’

_Two Years Earlier - 21st November 2005_

Chloe woke up with a slightly spinning head and a bit of a start when she realised this place was neither her dorm room nor her home. The bed was more than comfortable and yet for some reason beneath the unfamiliar silk sheets she found she was still wearing most of her clothes. Blinking hard against the bright sunlight that peeked through the blinds and crossed her face, Chloe fought through the fog that was last night until she remembered the events more clearly.

She lost her job, that was the part she recalled first, then at the park, Lex had asked her to marry him. She shivered at the memory as she replayed some more of the evening in her mind and felt a little better as she remembered coming back to his apartment to talk. Here had been drinking, that she remembered vividly, and even if she hadn’t, the fuzziness in her head would have told her so. What she couldn’t recall at all was how she’d wound up here, in this bed, and apparently alone. Given her state of almost-fully dressed, she was pretty sure nothing much had happened between herself and the young Mr Luthor last night. That wasn’t to say something hadn’t occurred, but they definitely hadn’t slept together, not even in the innocent sense it seemed, since the sheets lie flat and even on the other side of the bed.

Chloe wasn’t sure whether the feeling of relief or disappointment were bigger at the realisation she had slept here alone and untouched. As good as it was to know Lex had not taken advantage of her, or she thrown herself at him, it was a little off-putting to think she might’ve been shunned. Chloe was bright and attractive and sexy, or so she would like to think. There was no reason she could see why Lex or any man should not want to make love to her.

She laughed lightly when she caught herself, realising she was suggesting, in her own mind at least, that she wanted Lex to want her! That was insane, of course. They were friends, maybe even best friends, but nothing more. This whole marriage idea, should they agree to do it, would be purely a business deal, a favour between friends that both needed a hand. There would be so sex, no love, no real feelings that ought to lead to romance and/or matrimony.

The smell of fresh coffee suddenly hit Chloe’s nose, dragging her, in the best way possible, from her mixed up thoughts, and enticing her to get out the bed to go investigate where the delicious aroma was coming from. Tripping over her own shoes that seemed to have been haphazardly abandoned near the bedroom door, Chloe made her way towards the kitchen where a very odd sight met her eyes.

Having only ever seen her friend at Vivanta, Chloe was used to Lex being dressed quite smartly in a business suit if he had an important meeting, or at least in a button down shirt and pants. Now, here he was, stood barefoot in the spacious kitchen of his penthouse apartment, wearing grey sweat pants and a T-shirt, as he poured freshly brewed coffee into two large cups. It was all terribly domestic given the very businesslike man Chloe knew Lex to be and she couldn’t help the girlish giggle that escaped her lips as she watched him.

“Something amusing you, Miss Sullivan?” Lex said smoothly as he turned to face her, covering his surprise at her presence quite well, at least he hoped so.

“Such formalities, Mr Luthor?” she replied in kind as she walked over to the counter and took the cup of coffee he offered her. “If we’re going to be married, you’re going to have to stop that right away,” she joked, before realising perhaps such a thing was in poor taste.

Last night, in their fairly drunken state, it had all been very amusing. Now, in the cold light of day, there was no telling how Lex would react to the words he had spoken, or those he had heard from Chloe. She was only moderately concerned by the fact the evening grew increasingly blurry in her mind, and how she ended up in bed she couldn’t figure at all.

“You know, Chloe, I was serious in what I asked you,” Lex told her, apparently finding his coffee unappealing for the moment as he set the cup back down on the counter and faced her, “but I understand if you’re not so sure, now the alcohol has worn off.”

He smirked as he remembered how amusingly drunk she’d gotten the night before. She was extra friendly and giggly when inebriated, and in his own less than sober state, there had been a few moments when Lex had considered using that to his advantage. In the end, he knew he’d wind up regretting such actions.

“It sounds great on paper...” Chloe admitted, not entirely sure now whether she wanted to commit to this marriage thing or not.

“That’s what we said last night.” Lex smirked as he picked up a piece of paper from the counter and handed it to her.

Chloe smiled as she realised what it was. The make-shift contract she had written rather badly last night and practically demanded they both sign, in spite of the non-legality of it all. What she’d said then and what she said now was all true enough. It was a good idea in theory. Lex would get the wife he needed to inherit the fortune and everything he deserved, and she would have enough cash to get through college and still live the life to which she’d quickly become accustomed. They were best friends and got along just fine, it was a win-win from every angle as far as Miss Sullivan could see, and yet something stopped her just jumping in with both feet. She didn’t like to wonder too long on what the reason for that might be, for fear of the answers she would come up with.

“What about your father’s demands?” Chloe asked curiously, “I can’t imagine he just said you had to get married? There has to be some kind of duration, maybe certain things about the type of woman. I mean, do I even cover all the bases?” she checked, which only seemed to make Lex more uncomfortable as his eyes shifted away from her own gaze and he picked up his coffee to drink.

“Whomever I marry must remain my wife for a minimum of eighteen months,” he explained, “and whilst there were several specifications about the woman in question, Chloe, I’m fairly certain you have all possible desired qualities,” he said, smiling.

A strange shiver ran down Chloe’s spine at that remark. He could’ve said ‘required qualities’ it would have been apt phrasing, and yet he had to go with something with much more feeling than that. It almost felt as though it wasn’t only Lionel’s desires that Lex was talking about, and yet she immediately pushed those thoughts to the back of her head. It was crazy to let her young mind run away with her imagination. This wasn’t a fairytale, and whilst Lex could easily be Prince Charming, she certainly wasn’t the princess type. They were friends, nothing more, and this was a favour, a business deal, end of. The thing that bothered Chloe most was that she had to keep reminding herself of that already, and she hadn’t even formally agreed to the plan yet.

Recovering from her mini-daze, she took a gulp of coffee and looked up at the man she might yet marry. Eighteen months living with Lex, acting as his wife in front of all that they knew and many she didn’t. It could be fun, an adventure if nothing else, to live between a mansion and a penthouse apartment. It was practically every girl's dream to do this, and she’d be both a fool to walk away from such an opportunity and a bad friend if she left Lex up this matrimonial creek without a paddle.

“I still want to know,” she told him then, “what these qualities or specifications or whatever they are that I’m supposed to have?”

Lex knew there was no way he could avoid telling her. It would be wrong to expect her to go into this deal without all the facts. Hell, it wasn’t exactly great that he was asking his one true friend to do him such a big and odd favour anyway, but his life had never been straightforward and he couldn’t see it starting to change now.

“Well, the woman must be wholly American, her family must be proved to be citizens of the country for a certain number of generations,” he explained. “I think my father's opinion of other nationalities may have been jaded by certain business deals.” He rolled his eyes, knowing that Lionel had developed a particular dislike of English women after the dealings with one Ms Hardwick who had tried to play father and son against each other a few years ago.

“Okay, check in that box,” Chloe said with a nod, turning to lean her back against the counter, and holding her coffee cup between two hands as she drank. “What else?”

“She must be of reputable employment or in education or training for such a position,” Lex explained, “which I believe would be amply covered by your college courses and ambition for journalistic greatness,” he told her with a smirk.

“I guess that ones supposed to stop you picking up the nearest Roxanne, huh?” Chloe joked, though that was probably Lionel’s intention in making the rule and they both knew it. “C’mon, there has to be something trickier for us to get around than that?” she asked, finishing off her coffee and moving to the sink to rinse the cup without thinking.

“There is one other thing you might find... awkward,” Lex admitted, fidgeting awkwardly, an odd movement for the young businessman that usually oozed confidence.

Still, Chloe noted, this was not how they usually spent time, standing across from each other in his kitchen, him dressed in casuals and barefoot, as they discussed a possible marriage between them. This had to be the oddest business deal ever between two best friends, that up until now had never seen each other outside of the bar she worked at and he frequented.

“Are you gonna spill it, Luthor, or do I have to tip you over?” Chloe asked as she turned back around from the sink and faced him, bracing herself against the counter just in case he really did shock her as much as he seemed to think he might.

“Chloe, you’d have to go through medical tests,” he admitted. “My fathers lawyers will require proof of your health as well as your ability to have children before my marriage to you would make it possible for me to inherit,” he explained and Chloe looked thoughtful a moment before she responded.

“Well, I don’t see why that’s a problem,” she said, shaking her head. “I mean, yeah, major privacy invasion,” she admitted with a light laugh, “but I have nothing to worry about, as far as I know anyway.” She shrugged her shoulders. “It’s not like we actually have to spawn any little ones... right?” she checked, suddenly very nervous.

Surely Lex wouldn’t have left out such a detail, and she was sure when she’d asked last night at the bar he’d said a child was not a requirement. Still, Chloe had drunk a fair amount and slept since then. Her brain was not quite as sharp as it might’ve been after just one cup of Java.

“Chloe, I would never ask you to enter into an agreement that demanded that kind of commitment,” Lex promised her, and tried not to smirk at her very evident sigh of relief. “In fact, I completey understand if you don’t want to do this at all-”

“Lex,” she cut him off immediately. “Will you please stop trying to talk me out of this,” she urged him. “Anybody would think you have a lot of choices here, and honestly, I don’t see it.” She shook her head. “It’s either some air-head you can dupe that’s going to drive you nuts the whole time you have to spend together, or a fellow high-brow rich-bitch type who would probably tell the world your business just for kicks the first time you two disagreed over dinner arrangements,” she told him.

“Then help me, Sullivan Kenobi, you’re my only hope,” Lex joked, hands clasped together as if he were begging.

Chloe laughed, glad they could find even a little humour in this serious situation. It reminded her that life with Lex would never be dull or boring, and how much she already enjoyed his company, more than that of any other man she knew. Glancing away a moment, her eyes landed on the fake contract she’d made the night before and their signatures side by side at the bottom. Lex Luthor and Chloe Sullivan.

Mrs Chloe Luthor. It had an odd ring to it in her head, and though she knew she might end up regretting this in so many ways, she suddenly faced the man before her and nodded her head.

“Okay,” she said, taking a breath and finding a smile. “I think you should call your legal team, Lex, and tell them to get their butts in gear. The future Mrs Luthor wants to meet with them.”


	4. Chapter 4

_Present Day - 15th December 2007_

Standing alone in his office, a stiff drink in his hand that would be no more use to him than its five predecessors, Lex Luthor contemplated how his life would play out from here. Two short years ago he would have laughed at any person who told him things would end this way, his heart breaking at the prospect of Chloe disappearing from his life never to be seen again.

He hadn’t thought that decision through, the one he made back then in the penthouse apartment in Metropolis. Somewhere between the whiskey and the coffee, he and Chloe had become mindless and reckless, and terribly naive to think they could pull this off and remain the best of friends.

Chloe Sullivan, who had been Chloe Luthor these two years together, was unlike any other woman Lex had ever known, or ever would know. Back then, he’d known she was special but perhaps not quite how incredible she really could be. All this time in her company, living together, talking about anything and everything, and play-acting the part of the perfect couple to their friends and acquaintances, Lex had come to realise Chloe was to mean so much more to him than he ever could have realised when this whole thing began.

The question any person reading his thoughts might have asked was then, if you care so damn much about her, why are you letting her walk out of your life so easily? It was a completely valid question, and one that Lex had asked himself over the days and weeks leading up to tonight. Unfortunately, the young Mr Luthor had a myriad of answers to said question, a hundred and one reasons why he had to let Chloe walk away, and one of them had been so very clear to him from Day One.

_Two Years Earlier - 3rd December 2005_

Lex stood outside the office door, pacing a little as he checked his watch for the fourteenth time in the last two minutes. Chloe was supposed to have arrived by now, though so far she was only ten minutes late. He had supposed that as an aspiring journalist, she would be a stickler for time-keeping and deadlines, but clearly he didn’t know Miss Sullivan quite as well as he’d supposed.

So far they’d had little chance to spend time in each other's company. Two weeks since their mock-engagement, it had yet to be officially announced to the world. The lawyers were first to be called and an agreement drawn up that was official enough to keep everybody’s place clear. The necessary tests were done and checks were made in double quick time, and the document signed today by lawyer, Luthor, and future wife would confirm that Chloe met all Lionel’s requirements, and exactly what would happen should the couple ever divorce. Of course, both parties knew that the end of their marriage would be a ‘when’ rather than an ‘if’ deal, but even the lawyers were not allowed to be privy to that detail.

With a sigh, Lex checked his watch one more time, wondering if Chloe was going to show at all. She’d been pretty brave about all this, if such a word were apt. Honestly, he wasn’t sure if her behaviour made her that or just naive. He had tried to impress upon her the trials and tribulations that came with his lifestyle, even the dangers that sometimes presented themselves. Up to now she had waved away all his concerns and berated him for trying to talk her out of their agreement. It was possible that now her worries had caught up with her, reality had hit home and Chloe had probably come to realise what a foolish decision she had made when agreeing to marry him in this odd business deal.

Just as Lex had these thoughts and was about to abandon the whole thing, the elevator gave a ‘bing’, the doors sliding open to reveal a flustered blonde that was his bride to be. The words were strange in his head, but he didn’t have much time to contemplate them now as Chloe came bounding over to him, running a hand over the hair she’d not really had time to style, then straightening her jacket that she seemed unhappy with anyway.

“Lex, hey,” she greeted him without her usual smile, but instead an awkward and forced grin. “I’m sorry I’m late, I... Well, its sorted out now, it doesn’t matter,” she said, though the feeling wasn’t there behind her words and Lex knew it too.

As she made to pass him and head on in through the office door to see the lawyer, Lex’s arm shot out and pushed her gently back. He steered her away down the hall a little, ensuring they were out of anyone else’s ear-shot before he spoke.

“Chloe, what is really wrong here?” he asked her, hands at the tops of her arms as he made a point of looking her in the eye, in spite of the fact it was obvious she didn’t want to play ball. “If you’re having second thoughts...”

Chloe scoffed at that, though Lex couldn’t help but wonder whether that laugh-like escape of air from her mouth was because his suggestion was ridiculous or because she believed it was just too late to back out. Either way she seemed pretty determined to see their deal through as she met his eyes at last.

“Lex, we had a deal,” she reminded him, “And I’m here like we arranged for Phase One of the whole thing. I told you, I’m sorry I’m late but I had some other business to deal with before I came here”

“Business?” Lex echoed the word that was oh so familiar in his world, and yet a little cold when he heard it from her.

Of course, he knew their relationship, their marriage, was to be fictitious and based around his need to inherit and her need for cash. It was for monetary gain, and a favour to a friend. There was no love in this situation, at least there wasn’t supposed to be. They had a friendship of sorts, though Lex was far from an expert on that kind of relationship either.

“Yes, business,” Chloe snapped a little in her response, “Not exactly in the leagues of yours but I’m not a Luthor,” she pointed out, before adding. “Not yet anyway,” she smiled, and at least that look was a little less forced and a little more genuine, Lex thought.

Perhaps it was wishful thinking on his part, he wouldn’t be at all surprised. After all, it was he who had been fighting with Chloe about this deal from Day One. She seemed perfectly ready to jump in with two feet, consequences be damned, whilst Lex was more cautious. He didn’t worry about his own feelings or reputation or anything like that. No, all his concern was for Chloe, how she would cope with being forced to live in his world, under the scrutiny of public, press, and more. He wanted to know she was completely prepared for what they were about to do. She would have to be properly convincing as his wife, which wouldn’t just test her acting skills but her strength of character too. She must live a loveless life, as they both must, for the duration of their marriage, since neither would get away with an affair.

There was so much to consider, and Lex only hoped they’d thought of everything. He hoped he’d prepared himself and Chloe for this as much as he could. Of course, no-one knew what lie around the corner, and nobody could ever be ready for absolutely anything, not even Lex Luthor.

“Lex, could we please just do this?” Chloe urged him, when he stood staring for too long. “Aren’t we late already?”

“Yes,” Lex answered both her questions with one succinct answer as he turned to head back down the hall.

“Hey!” she called for his attention then, painting on another of those faked smiles that it pained him to see as she slid her hand into his quite unexpectedly. “Gotta play the part. Start as we mean to go on, right?” she said.

“Absolutely,” he agreed, squeezing her hand without thinking as they walked down the hall together, and into the office where the head of the Luthor family legal team waited for them.

Chloe nodded and smiled appropriately as the details of the pre-nuptial agreement were explained to her. She knew that any other document would be read two and three times by herself and a separate lawyer of her own usually, but this was Lex and she trusted him, she had to considering the situation she was putting herself in. Once she signed this contract, this agreement, it was the first step down a path that there was no backing out from, at least not for the next two years.

“So, Mr Luthor, Miss Sullivan,” the lawyer smiled. “If you could both just sign there at the bottom...” he said, offering them a fancy fountain pen each.

A silent glance at each other was followed by Chloe and then Lex leaning over the desk and signing their names beside each other, just as they had two weeks ago in the apartment in Metropolis. At least this time the contract was legal, and the two of them were sober. On the downside, when Lex looked at Chloe to see if she was okay, he realised she really wasn’t. The smile on her face was still as fake as their marriage would be. Whatever had happened to make her late had also upset her and made her wonder about this deal they were entering into.

“You know, legalities aside,” the lawyer said, catching the attention of both members of the couple, “you two make a wonderful couple. It’s quite obvious you’re in love,” he lied, and Lex knew it.

“Why else would we be getting married?” Chloe rolled her eyes, making a big deal of leaning into Lex and encouraging his arm around her waist as she gazed up into his eyes.

Glancing down into her hazel orbs, Lex didn’t see the love they spoke of, only pain and confusion, and he knew then that this relationship they had would never be anything more than a friendship with a business deal on top. They’d be lucky if they could even maintain that.

_Present Day - 15th December 2007_

Lex stared at the paper he’d taken from the safe, a copy of that agreement signed two years ago. As his fingers traced the signatures there at the bottom, he realised the next time he would see them together like this would be on divorce papers. Retracting his hand, Lex closed his eyes against too many images that were burned so bright onto his brain he could see them even with his eyes screwed tight shut. He was such a fool, letting things take this turn and end up this way.

If he’d known back then that things could never turn out well, why hadn’t he stopped it? Oh, Lex knew why he hadn’t, why he’d let this marriage take place, why he’d allowed the deal to go on so long when it was always destined to rip him apart. A small part of him, a part he had long since believed to be dead, had reared its ugly head and demand he see it through. That part was his hope.

There had always been a hope within him that one day he would find the happiness he craved, a hope that he might make some special woman happy, a hope for a happily ever after. So many times the world showed him that he ought to let that hope die, that it was never going to come to fruition, that he’d be better off facing reality and being a man about it.

Even when Chloe had come to explain about that day, why she was late and what that ‘unfinished business’ was, even then knowing the truth, Lex didn’t give up hope. Now there was no hope left to cling to and nothing left to wish for.

Pouring another drink, Lex quite decided to get very drunk tonight, at least then he wouldn’t mind so much that he hated himself right now.


	5. Chapter 5

_Present Day - 15th December 2007_

Chloe did her best to employ those tricks she’d learnt so well in her two years as a Luthor. How to hide emotions that might make her seem vulnerable. Keeping any sign of weakness, like crying, at bay. Unfortunately, the tears were welling in her eyes before she’d even left the mansion, and now, here in the back of the chauffeur-driven car, Chloe was having a hard time controlling herself.

Though she’d had enough practice at being strong, holding herself together so long had taken its toll. Now was the first time in a long while she was allowed to fall apart, without having to worry who might see her or what their perception of her pain might be. Nobody knew the real reason why she was suddenly sobbing behind the screen that hid her from her driver so well, behind the tinted windows through which prying eyes would love to see. Chloe had never revealed her true feelings to another living soul, not even to her husband.

A painful laugh escaped her lips as she thought those words. Lex wasn’t a bad man, she could never accuse him of that, and he played the part of her spouse extremely well in company. Unfortunately, behind closed doors, when they were truly alone, they did not remain so close. They were married only on paper, and in every other way they were no more than friends.

That ought to have worked to their advantage, but Chloe was sure in a lot of ways it had been their downfall, or at the very least her own. Being best friends should have strengthened their relationship, but she learnt the hard way, as many had before her, that business and pleasure should not be mixed. Somewhere along the line, she’d stopped seeing Lex as just a friend and started to wonder if there might not be more between them. She would go on to attribute the attraction she felt to their odd circumstances, to her feeling lonely in a loveless marriage, to a hundred and one other things. Unfortunately, none of the reasons she came up with really suited.

Chloe knew the truth of the matter was she’d fallen genuinely in love with Lex Luthor, and for a while there, she almost believed he felt the same about her. She had no idea what a superb actor he could be, though the night they announced their engagement at an event to rival all previous events should have given her a clue.

_Two Years Earlier - 5th December 2005_

Chloe observed herself in the full-length mirror and decided she was beautiful. She would not usually allow herself to use such a word so freely, not about herself, as it was entirely egotistical, but today was different. Today, she had gone all out to look like the perfect fiancee for the local billionaire, and Chloe was exceptionally proud of what her efforts had achieved.

This whole thing had been awkward to start off with, even as far as two days ago, but just as soon as Chloe had arrived here at the mansion yesterday, she couldn’t help but think she’d made the right choice. Lex was a good friend, she would’ve wanted to do him this favour anyway, but she had to admit, what really tipped the scale in his favour was the luxuries he had to offer. Nothing made a girl more eager to accept a proposal of any kind than a house so big it practically crossed an International Time Zone, enough shiny expensive cars to fill a parking lot, and a platinum card that never hit its limit.

Not particularly shallow by nature, Chloe couldn’t help but act like an excited school girl over the prospect of moving from her ‘have-not’ status to the top end of the having scale. This morning when Lex had put her in a car with a driver and a credit card, telling her to go buy whatever she wanted for their engagement party, Chloe had really gone to town, trying on every pretty dress she could find in her size. Finally, she had settled on this, her beautiful shimmering gown that was pale pink from one angle and gold from another. She felt like a princess, an odd feeling for the girl that had been more of the tomboy type growing up, and even now was way more denim and leather than pink and frilly as a rule.

A light knock on the door barely brought Chloe out of her pretty-dress-induced haze, until she spotted Lex behind her in the mirror and grinned at him.

“What do you say, Lex?” she asked him, “Good enough to be the wife of the great Alexander Luthor?” she checked with a smirk.

His own expression was at first apparent surprise, though Chloe wasn’t certain she understood why. Of course, he had never seen her dressed up all fancy like this, she was always in ordinary but smart pants and shirts when she tended bar at Vivanta. He had no reason to know she was drop dead gorgeous in a gown, but from the way he was staring now, Chloe accepted her own previous opinion that she looked damn good.

“Chloe, you look beautiful,” he confirmed with a genuine smile, and though she’d had the same thought a few moments ago without even a hint of ego, she blushed now at the sound of him saying it, another thing she wasn’t really used to.

“So I guess this is it, the big moment,” she said as she turned to face him in his less over-whelming state of dress, after all he almost always wore a suit when she’d seen him before.

“You know, Chloe...” he began, only to have her interrupt immediately, eyes flashing with something akin to anger, he noted.

“Lex, if you tell me one more time that I don’t have to go through with this, I’m going to take your head off with the nearest archaic weapon,” she said, a hint of fun underneath her fiery tone.

They shared an awkward smile at her almost joke, before Lex spoke again.

“May I recommend the sixteenth century tachi,” he teased her. “I recently had it sharpened.”

“Don’t mess with me, Luthor,” Chloe warned, though she wasn’t even a little angry anymore, her smirk giving her away just like his always did. “Let’s get this show on the road,” she said then, taking the arm he duly offered and allowing herself to be led out of the room, down the hall, to the old ballroom where the party was taking place.

An overwhelming amount of introductions proceeded to take place as Lex led his wife-to-be around the room, introducing the lady on his arm as just his special someone to start off with. The point of the party was to announce their engagement, and to present Chloe with the ring that she genuinely knew nothing of at this point.

The blonde herself found it pretty easy to play the doting other half to Lex. After all, they were good friends, and she liked him enough that very little acting was required. The point blank lies didn’t even come as much of a hardship, since she’d learnt quite well how to be under-cover girl for the investigative reporting she’d started practising as early as high school.

Chloe was a little surprised by how well Lex acted his part in this. She was sure he was well-practised in poker as he kept a straight face quite easily with each lie that tripped off his tongue. The nature of their meeting and their relationship, their plans for the future. These were things that they’d vaguely discussed just so that their stories matched, but he elaborated with a passion and Chloe was a little overwhelmed, most especially when such expansion on the base lie was in order to compliment her.

She wasn’t surprised that each and every guest she was introduced to was in awe of the love between Lex Luthor and herself. The web of lies they spun was such that their relationship sounded like something out of a fairytale, and Chloe was beginning to wish it was as true as they were making it sound. Of course, that would be ludicrous, but the little girl that yearned to be a fairy princess with a brave knight at her side kind of wished it was. She wondered if it was all just that long lost fantasy, or if the red-blooded woman in her was just craving a little action of the Luthor kind.

Chloe blushed when she caught herself thinking of Lex in any kind of sexual way. He was hot, of course he was, and they both knew that, but he was her best friend, and to start this faux-marriage with these kind of thoughts could only end in disaster. They were not supposed to feel that way about each other, and yet she wondered, could their acting skills really be so good?

Finishing off her fifth glass of champagne that was making her head swim, Chloe was suddenly very aware that Lex had left her side and was now attempting to get the attention of the entire room. This was the moment, the one from which there was no turning back. Phase two, as she’d been calling it in her head, started here, and after so much to drink she was at last ready for it, no more nerves to speak of.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Lex said as he faced the room, “I’m sure some of you are wondering why you’re all gathered here tonight, and I’m happy to say this is the moment when you get to find out.” He smiled, glancing Chloe’s way, a silent check that she was still okay with this.

The grin he received back from his bride-to-be told him he was safe to carry on, and he did.

“There have been a number of women in my life,” Lex said, looking almost embarrassed about it. “Several times I thought I’d found love, but when I met Chloe, I knew how wrong I’d been all those times before,” he said, with such affection as he looked across at her that the blonde felt like she could just melt into a puddle on the floor at any moment.

“Chloe, you’re the most amazing woman I have ever met, and as cliché as it may sound, I can’t imagine my life without you in it,” he told her to an audience of excited on-lookers, who oohed and aawed appropriately as he walked through the crowd and faced the woman who’s fate would be sealed in just a moment.

“Chloe, would you do me the great honour of agreeing to be my wife?” he asked as he dropped to one knee before her, simultaneously producing a velvet box which he opened to reveal the most beautiful diamond ring.

In spite of the fact she knew the question was coming, Chloe was quite overwhelmed by the delivery and the sight of the rock that she was sure sunk the Titanic once upon a time. Lex knelt before her, gazing up with such adoration, if she didn’t know better she’d swear he was being genuine here. With the champagne going to her head and completely lost in the moment, Chloe almost forgot she was supposed to be answering the question she’d been asked, but it didn’t matter. Her conscious mind didn’t need to remember their plan, even her sub-conscious knew the answer she must give, that she wanted to give.

“Yes, Lex,” she said suddenly, “I’d love to be your wife!” she exclaimed as he got to his feet, pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

As the army of guests that surrounded them broke into applause and cheers of joy, Chloe didn’t hear a sound, only her own heartbeat racing out of control as Lex Luthor kissed her like she’d never been kissed before. She was sure any second now she was going to die from lack of oxygen, and yet she couldn’t help but think what a deliriously beautiful way that would be to go.

Just then, he released her, and Chloe was only glad he kept one arm around her since she was sure her legs wouldn’t hold right now. The beautiful engagement ring was slid onto her finger, as someone demanded three cheers for the happy couple. It was a moment of such happiness, and Chloe couldn’t believe how overcome with it she was, especially when Lex spoke again.

“I love you, Chloe,” he declared, and took her breath away once more.

Swallowing hard and composing herself enough to speak, the blonde glanced up and met his eyes before she answered.

“I love you too, Lex."

* * *

The party now over, Chloe still hadn’t quite recovered from a large amount of champagne and the thrill of her first evening being treated so much like the fairy princess. She was to be Lex Luthor’s wife and as such was the belle of the ball, and the envy of every woman within a hundred mile radius, she was certain. What made the whole thing just that little bit more perfect was that, acting aside, it was so real. Chloe was certain by the end of the night that she and Lex really could be in love. It was the only way she could explain how she came to be standing opposite him, outside the door of her bedroom at the mansion, not wanting to let go of him even though it was late and a time better suited to sleep than anything else.

“I think we did well tonight,” he told her, hands on her arms if only to hold her steady. “You were a real pro.”

“Maybe,” Chloe agreed, nodding her head then wishing she hadn’t a moment later as her head swam slightly, “or maybe I just wanted to believe the fairytale for a while,” she said, her voice too soft to her own ears, but she couldn’t help it as she gazed up into his eyes, trying to convey all she felt.

She didn’t have words for it, a shocking concept for the wannabe-reporter, but it was true. Though words were to be her livelihood, in this particular moment, she had none to offer, only a look that she hoped said as much as she felt it should.

Lex smiled at her then, and for a moment she thought he understood. It became clear a moment later that he did not as he leant forward and planted a kiss on her forehead.

“Get some sleep, Chloe,” he whispered as he opened the door for her and ushered her into her room. “It’ll all be clearer in the morning,” he promised, as he turned and walked away, leaving his fake fiance alone, and unknown to him, in very real floods of tears.

_Present Day - 15th December 2007_

Chloe winced at the memories that haunted her still. In the days and weeks following that night she would tell herself it was the champagne that made her believe she felt something more for Lex than she really did, that it was merely the alcohol’s ill-effects that had left her sobbing at his rejection. In the morning, she would even tell the man himself that she recalled little or nothing of the evening's events, as she apologised for getting a little carried away by bubbles.

To this day he didn’t know she was such a liar. She’d never once dared tell him that her feelings had started there and developed out of all her control. She feared another rejection, she feared he would laugh in her face, or worse not even care at all. Chloe wasn’t usually one to give into fear, but she’d learnt a long time ago that getting her heart broken was worth being afraid of. She couldn’t take that kind of risk, not even for Lex.


	6. Chapter 6

_Present Day - 15th December 2007_

It wasn’t working, and Lex knew before he was anywhere close to drunk. A whole bottle of whiskey, two or three, it wouldn’t ever be enough. He could drink until he felt nothing anymore, until he hit the floor in a state of oblivion, but in the end he would sleep it off, he would wake up and feel the same pain in his heart. Slamming his empty glass onto the bar so hard it almost shattered, Lex grew angry at his own stupidity. He had no idea how idiotic he could be until now, though he knew himself to be incredibly naive for ever starting this whole process.

Marrying Chloe for a deal, to fix a legal issue, he’d thought that was the most ridiculous thing he’d ever done, but no, there was something else. Letting her walk out of that door today, that was his finest hour of idiocy, and all because he was afraid. 

Fear was not something Luthors were supposed to feel, or so Lionel had spent years telling his only son. It was one of many emotions that Lex’s father considered a weakness, alongside love, mercy, and others too numerous to mention. It was strange for Lex to realise that he’d given into fear when it came to love, two emotions he ought to have steered clear of altogether, and yet he couldn’t help himself.

He was in love with Chloe, he had been for a long time and though he’d tried to deny it, he’d always known it was true, deep down in the depths of his cold heart. Never once had he let himself believe she might feel the same, despite those moments when she almost proved it to him.

There had been something, the night of the engagement party. A look in her eyes, the way she spoke to him, he could have easily kissed her, taken her as his, and she would’ve let him, he was sure. Unfortunately, Lex's luck was such that Chloe was somewhat drunk that night, drunk enough that he would not have dreamt of taking advantage of her. The same could not be said on the night of their wedding, and yet he had still walked away.

Chloe never said then that she loved him, not even that she wanted him, not really. During the ceremony, she was as convincing as he had been, not one person could have suspected they felt anything but undeniable love for each other. Unfortunately for Lex, Chloe was the one person he had trouble reading, back then at least. Over the years, he felt he'd learnt quite well, though not entirely - she was far from a quick study and he doubted anyone could ever truly learn all the facets that made her up the jewel that was his Chloe.

Lex sighed and shook his head, catching hismelf thinking of Chloe as his again. She was not that and never would be if he didn't finally stand up and be the man he'd always thought himself to be, and yet proved the very opposite in this situation. Today he'd let Chloe walk out on him, thinking it would be easier that way, but it was far from it. This was even worse than their wedding night, which he remembered all too clearly. The night when he himself had been forced to walk away from Chloe, and from that day on regretted such a move.

_Two Years Ago - 15th December 2005_

The day had been perfect, like some kind of fairytale, and whilst Lex Luthor would be the last to admit he had any sort of dreams of playing Prince Charming in some Cinderella scene, he’d been thrilled to be a part of this event. It would have been impossible for the son of the great Lionel Luthor to get married in some small and insignificant ceremony at City Hall. Besides which, Lex would not deny Chloe the kind of opulent affair he was sure she’d always dreamt of as a child. She didn’t come off as the princess wish type, but deep down in their hearts, Lex believed most girls dreamt of meringue-type wedding dresses, rooms full of flowers, and row upon row of smiling guests as they walked down the aisle to meet their husband and say ‘I do’.

The perfect shining day was only mildly tarnished by the fact it was fake, since it was treated as if it were very much real. Chloe’s cousin, Lois, had acted as Maid of Honour, also taking on the parental role quite well as she warned Lex once again that one false move would land him in a hospital at her hand, regardless of his fame and fortune. She clearly believed the elaborate lie, as did every friend and family member that appeared. Unfortunately for Chloe, her father did not attend. Since wedding planners had been employed for so much of the big day and it was rushed into readiness so fast, Lex had failed to notice Gabe Sullivan missing from the invitations and the seating chart. It was only when Chloe glided down the aisle with no-one’s arm to cling to that he realised he’d never met the man and apparently would not today.

Later he would ask about her father’s lack of appearance and Chloe would tell him it didn’t matter. Since the subject seemed to cause her pain, something Lex was loath to do on any day, least of all this one, he let it go for now, but planned to ask again at a later date.

Still, MIA father-of-the-bride not withstanding, the wedding had gone smoothly, and by the time the ceremony was over, Lex had no doubt in his mind that every possible spectator of this lavish affair would believe it to be very much real. Of course, it was real, in the sense that he and Chloe were really married, but the love between them was entirely manufactured, at least it was supposed to be.

As Lex and Chloe stood at the alter exchanging vows, and again as they shared their first dance together at the reception, Lex was just inches away from letting himself fall into the sheer happiness of make-believe oblivion. Chloe was a hell of an actress, he thought, several times throughout their wedding day. She smiled all day long, and he wondered how she managed to do so without her face aching, and yet he began to realise he was doing just the same thing.

They seemed so happy, despite the fact they were locking themselves into a business deal that could potentially destroy their carefully built friendship all too easily. They were committing to a loveless marriage for the sake of money and a family name. They ought to be miserable, or at the very least solemn about all this, and yet they smiled, all day and into the night, grinning like idiots as they fawned over each other, making a big deal of how delighted they were to be man and wife.

The affection came surprisingly easily. Hugs and kisses, her head on his shoulder, his arm around her back. For two people usually quite happy to keep others at arms length, they had suddenly become very at ease with each other. Usually separated by a bar and, dare Lex even think, a class divide, it was shocking to him how natural it felt just to touch Chloe, hold onto her, kiss her, and she seemed equally as comfortable in his arms or constantly at his side.

As day turned to night and the guests at the reception decided they’d had quite enough of both drinking and dancing, Lex and Chloe realised it was time to call it a night. Of course, it was not just any night for them, it was their wedding night, and another carefully orchestrated plan had to be put into motion if no-one was going to get suspicious about their arrangement.

Chloe’s final act of tossing the bouquet (which Lois caught, much to new boyfriend Clark’s consternation) the newly-wed Mr and Mrs Luthor bid their guests goodnight in order to retire to their room. The honeymoon would begin tomorrow as they jetted off to some far flung island out of all harms way, tonight was to be spent together in the master bedroom of the great Luthor Mansion, or so everyone else believed.

They ascended the stairs hand in hand, smiling at staff that they passed on the way to their room. As those within view saw the newlyweds enter the door they naturally assumed they'd be having a very special night, but they didn't know the truth. Once inside the room, the plan was for only one to stay there, something that right in that moment didn't sit well with either party, though neither knew the other felt that way.

"So, this is what it feels like to be a Luthor." Chloe smiled up at her husband as they stood opposite each other at the foot of a large and luxurious bed that only Chloe would feel the benefit of tonight. "Its weird, I expected to feel different, y'know more all-powerful," she joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Right now she felt like doing anything but laughing. After a beautiful day of love and promises, this ought to be the pinnacle of everything good. Unfortunately, it was set to be an anti-climax as she stayed here and Lex made use of the secret route through to a whole other bedroom just down the hall. As wrong and stupid as Chloe knew it was to feel this way, she almost wanted to beg him to stay, for them to have a real wedding night together. She blamed the champagne as she had once before, and the fact that the rest of the day had felt so real - she wanted this last part. Maybe she just wanted a man like him to make her feel like a woman, and wipe away a bad memory of an awkward first time. So many reasons she could call upon, none of them were really true, and yet her husband had no idea that any of this was going on inside her mind.

Lex was going through his own internal power struggle. Here was a woman, beautiful as anyone could be, both inside and out, standing before him as his legal partner for life. It would be so easy to convince her they should spend the night together, he was sure. After all, he was his father's son in that respect at least, he'd been taught how to charm women, how to get his way by making everyone else think it was their way too.

The problem Lex was really having was two-fold. Making this move, making any move closer to Chloe tonight could potentially cause hurt later, first for her and then for himself. Lex was not willing to risk both their emotions, not for the sake of sex, it couldn't be worth it. Still the hot-blooded male voice inside his brain baited him, tried to tell him it would be more than worth it to take her and make her his in every possible way.

“Lex?” Chloe saying his name brought him back to the real world and out of the fight he was having inside his heart, head, and other areas.

“Thank you for today, Chloe,” he said, looking far too formal suddenly as he leant in to kiss her cheek, “For everything you’re sacrificing for me. I appreciate it, more than you’ll ever know,” he assured her, before heading over to the wall and hitting the secreted switch there.

A door slid open as if out of nowhere, a passageway behind it that would take him to his own room away from here, away from temptation.

“Goodnight, Chloe,” he said as he finally left, barely sparing her a smile as he went, knowing he just had to get out before something happened that they would no doubt both end up regretting.

Unbeknownst to him, Lex left behind him a young woman who would cry herself to sleep tonight, aching for the love of the man she had just married. Similarly, of course, she would never know the pain he would be in from having to walk away from her. It would have been so easy to stay, but the consequnces of such an act did not bear thinking of. These rational thoughts did not stop Lex hovering in his bedroom a good ten minutes, considering going back the way he’d come and showing Chloe just what he felt for her. In the end, he made the sensible choice, or what seemed like it should be sensible in his mind. His heart, and other parts of him, told him he was a fool, but surely this way he was risking a lot less in the long term.

_Present Day - 15th December 2007_

Lex was practically seething at himself as he climbed into one of his too expensive sports cars and yanked the seat-belt across his body. It would have been an ironic sight had anybody seen him, thinking safety first as he prepared to drive at ridiculous speeds in his current state of semi-drunkeness. It was obvious Lex wasn’t thinking particularly clearly, and yet this was perhaps the first time he’d felt so clear on anything.

He had come to realise that logical thought and good intentions were pointless if they were making him miserable. The look in her eyes suggested Chloe was similary unhappy to have to walk out on their marriage, at least, Lex thought so. It might have been wishful thinking, but he would never know for sure if he didn’t at least ask.

Revving the engine of the car, he suddenly shot off, squealing the tyres at a painful volume only rivalled by the radio that came on automatically. Tearing down the winding road from the mansion into town, Lex had only Chloe on his mind, only catching up to her and putting right what had gone so very wrong. He had no idea the turn that fate would take him on during this particular trip, but at this speed, it wouldn’t be long before he found out.


	7. Chapter 7

_Present Day - 15th December 2007_

Chloe looked out of the window of the limousine and watched the rolling fields fly by. Part of her couldn’t wait to get away from here, leave behind Smallville, Metropolis, the whole state of Kansas, in favour of time away somewhere new. She snorted softly, recalling that most famous of stories about the girl who wished away her Kansas home in favour of the glory of the Emerald City. Eventually, Dorothy was eager to return home, and Chloe knew she too would return to the places she loved most. It was Metropolis she ought to miss more than Smallville anyway, since her family came from there and her friends all lived there. She wanted most to work for the Daily Planet, whose offices resided there, and of course Lois and Clark lived together in the town too.

Chloe knew her main reason to want to get back to Metropolis before she’d even really left was the same reason she had to leave in the first place. She’d met Lex in Metropolis, made her deal with him at that penthouse apartment she’d spent so much time in since. When she wasn’t there, either alone or with her husband, she was at the mansion in Smallville, living it up as Mrs Lex Luthor. It had all been such an experience, to live like such a lady in such luxury, but the wonder of cash, clothes, private jets and limousines had started to wane. It wasn’t easy being in the public eye, especially when your life was one big lie that must never be revealed to anyone.

What had kept Chloe going when the wonder of millions of dollars ran out was being with Lex. As hard as it had been to keep her distance sometimes, or just to keep her feelings straight in her own head and heart, she wouldn’t have changed most of the last two years for the world. She and her supposed husband had at least managed to maintain their friendship for the most part. Though she knew deep down she’d probably craved more since the beginning, she’d dealt with the fact they could only ever be best friends, and had done so quite well for the majority of the first whole year of their fake-marriage.

That day, just a couple of weeks before their First Anniversary. Chloe remembered it all too clearly and shivered at the memories that invaded her mind. It was crazy when nothing had really happened at all, but it was perhaps the first time when both she and Lex silently acknowledged how close they’d come to letting themselves fall into the oblivion of pure emotion, whether they meant to or not.

_One Year Ago - 3rd December 2006_

It was a Sunday, and far too early to be social as far as Chloe could tell, especially since she’d hardly got any sleep last night. Not only had she spent the better part of the day before catching up on homework assignments for college, but then she’d been summoned by Lois who had apparently had some dumb fight with Clark and needed her cousin to help her with the Ben and Jerry’s and listen to her concerns about her relationship that she felt was falling apart.

Chloe had done the good cousin thing, and in all honesty didn’t really object to helping Lois out, after all she’d been there for her in the past. For all the ups and downs in their lives, they got along really well, sometimes more like sisters than cousins. That was perhaps why Chloe had been avoiding spending too much time with her these past few months. She had a secret now that even Lois could not be told, and it was hard to keep her mouth shut about it, especially when the alcohol started to flow.

Hungover, far too full of ice-cream, as well as worry and doubt, and functioning on very little sleep, Chloe climbed out of the limo with the strongest cup of coffee Starbucks would sell her clamped in her hand, and a decidedly unappreciative look at the sun that shone too brightly in her eyes. This was the last place she wanted to be, and Lex was the last person she wanted to face, in spite of the fact she hadn’t seen him for the past week and would doubtless not lay eyes on him again for another similar amount of time.

The young Mr Luthor was certainly putting the busy into business this past month or so, and Chloe hadn’t really objected. To be honest, it was often easier to keep up their marriage facade when they didn’t have to try too hard at it. With her so-called husband on one big business trip after the other lately and college work taking up a lot of her time, the two passed like ships in the night, barely even talking recently.

It was simpler for Chloe to convince herself she didn’t want or need him around all that much when he wasn’t there. Now she was forced to spend her Sunday, or at least a good chunk of it, holed up in the Metropolis penthouse with Lex, on the one spare day he’d managed to find, to discuss the party in honour of their First Anniversary.

Sure, it would’ve been easier to go with his idea and let a party planner do all the hard work. All they would have to do was hand in the guest list, phone in the choices from the colour charts and hey presto, party package delivered to the mansion door. Unfortunately, and Chloe could only plead temporary insanity, she had suggested a month or so ago that it would be way more fun if they planned the event together as a couple. It was also said that it might make their marriage look that bit more realistic too, and Lex had whole-heartedly agreed with the premise. Of course, planning should’ve begun there and then but with schedules as they were and things rarely ever running according to the pre-conceived plan, it was now just one week to the date of the anniversary/party combo and as yet not one proper decision had been made on anything.

Riding the elevator up to the penthouse, Chloe chugged down half her coffee and fought the urge to throw up that followed the overly large intake of Java all in one hit. By the time she came staggering out into the hall, the former Miss Sullivan was really wishing today away, and her mood was not helped when the apartment door suddenly opened and she was met by the sight of her husband. Unfortunately, Lex had not become any less attractive this past week, if anything he was a more pleasing sight than ever to the young woman that had missed his rarely seen smile and sparkling eyes. He also looked remarkably awake and aware for such an ungodly Sunday morning hour, and Chloe hated him a little for that too.

“Hi,” she said simply, suddenly not sure of what she was doing.

“Good morning,” he greeted her.

Ever mindful of the prying eyes of security staff outside the door, Lex leaned in to kiss Chloe briefly on the lips, then guided her swiftly into the penthouse with a smile as he closed the door. Trying not to let the simple action phase her, despite the fact every moment like that with Lex almost knocked her off her feet, Chloe sat down on the couch with a thump and made a big deal of gulping down the rest of her coffee.

“So, let’s get started,” she sighed, pulling a folder from her bag and laying it on the coffee table. “We have a lot to get through today.”

Lex just remained standing by the door, observing her. Chloe knew he was staring but honestly daren’t look in case she met his eyes and was once again rendered speechless as she had been on several occasions before. They did pretty well at the friendship thing most of the time, but there were days when she felt particularly vulnerable or just in need of something she knew she couldn’t have. Moments like the kiss at the door sometimes caught her more off-guard than others and those were the times when she truly wished she’d never agreed to this plan, and yet at the same time was so inordinately glad that she had.

“Right, lots to plan.” Lex nodded once as he moved to join her on the couch, the serious business of party planning under way, with barely a syllable spoken about how they’d both been doing this past week out of each other's company.

* * *

“This is ridiculous!” Chloe made an annoyed growling sound in her throat as she threw her pen down on the floor and put her face into her hands.

She and Lex had been working on plans for their anniversary party all day long and they still weren’t done. It was now all starting to drive her medically insane, she was sure, though a large part of her was determined not to be defeated by a seating chart and table decorations.

“Okay, we need to take a break,” Lex deduced, though honestly he’d been wishing they could do just that since about a half hour after they started.

Picking himself up off the floor, he headed to the kitchen to fetch them both a stiff drink. They’d gravitated off the couch onto the carpet when the plans and papers proved a little too much for the small coffee table to handle. Since just before lunch, which consisted of a ridiculous amount of take-out pizza that Chloe insisted was the only thing that was going to get her through the day, they had ended up with Lex one side of a mountain of papers, his back against the couch, whilst Chloe knelt the other side, scribbling notes and getting mad about the silliest of things.

All Lex’s attempts to keep her calm and assure her these little things didn’t matter only seem to aggravate her more. Now they had reached the point where the blonde looked ready to burst into tears and had begun throwing things, such as pens and paper. Before she escalated to a full blown fit and smashed anything valuable, Lex made the executive decision that alcohol was in order.

“Why do we have to have a party?” Chloe groaned, leaning back against the couch next to where Lex sat himself back down, handing her one of the two glasses he had just now fetched. “Why can’t we just tell all these fancy snotty rich people that we want to be alone for our anniversary? That’s normal for people that have only been married a year, right?” she checked, realising it was ridiculous to assume such a thing since she had no frame of reference whatsoever.

“In case you hadn’t noticed, Chloe, we don’t seem to be particularly adept at being alone together either,” Lex said succinctly, downing half his glass of wine in one gulp, a bitterness to his tone that wasn’t lost on his pseudo-wife.

“Well, we haven’t exactly had a lot of practice lately,” she noted. “We’ve both been kind of busy, that always puts a strain on a... friendship,” she opted for, after momentarily considering using the word marriage.

“So, how about we put aside the party plans for an hour, and talk about something else?” Lex suggested, reaching for the wine bottle he’d placed to his other side and leaning over to refill Chloe’s glass that had emptied pretty quickly. “How’s college?” he asked her, and though the childish part of her just wanted to be mono-syllabic and pouty, Chloe didn’t let herself be that way.

“It’s actually going pretty well, if not a little much with the homework assignments...” she explained, going into more detail than she’d originally intended, but mostly she was just glad to have gotten onto a topic she was comfortable discussing.

The nature of her marriage to Lex was just awkward to discuss, though as the wine flowed and one bottle was emptied followed by a second, Chloe started to lose the sense that anything between them should ever be awkward at all. Lex seemed very at ease too as he regaled her with amusing anecdotes from his business trips and they leaned close together against the couch, their reason for being here together almost completely forgotten.

“You know I forgot how much fun you can be,” Chloe said without thinking, the wine taking away her inhibitions and good sense, truth be told, “I mean, we used to talk like this before, about everything, but lately...”

“I suppose the nature of our situation has put more of a strain on our friendship than we supposed it might,” Lex said with a regretful sigh as he glanced down into his wine glass. “Chloe, I’m sorry that things have to be so difficult between us sometimes,” he apologised.

She shook her head, reaching to cover his hand with hers.

“Honestly, Lex, it’s fine,” she told him, even if it was mostly a lie. “I’m not going to deny that it kind of sucks sometimes when I have no-one to talk to because half my life is such a big secret I hardly dare mention anything in front of anybody but you, and yeah, I guess it’s weird not being able to date-”

“You miss dating?” Lex interrupted, though he wouldn’t usually be so rude, honestly, he’d been stunned by the statement. “This from the woman who on more than one occasion has regaled me with many a lecture on the pointlessness of the whole procedure.”

“I know, I know!” Chloe sighed, “I just.. it’s not the dating persay,” she said with a shrug, leaning her head back onto the seat of the couch and staring up at the ceiling. “I don’t miss the awkwardness of the first date, the confusion over who gets the cheque at the restaurant, to kiss or not to kiss at the end of the evening, etc., etc.,” she rambled on complete with random hand gesture that almost spilt her wine on the too expensive rug. “I think it’s just... the feelings, the closeness,” she tried to explain. “Wanting to feel... wanted, I guess,” she said, turning her head to the side only to find that Lex had at some point moved and was now right up close to her.

The bottle in his hand suggested his movement had only been meant to innocently fill up her half-empty glass, but when she turned suddenly she caught the both of them off-guard, their faces so close together that their noses practically touched. Her vision was filled by him, her senses overwhelmed by his cologne, and taken over by that terrible urge that she’d had too many times before, to just lean in and kiss his lips.

Honestly, Chloe wasn’t sure if it was hopeful imagination or if it was Lex that moved first, but it really didn’t matter. Though they’d kissed a hundred times before, this was different. They didn’t do this when they were alone, her eyes didn’t fall shut and electric didn’t pulse through her body in quite this way when it was one of those fake kisses for the sake of dinner guests or photographers. No, this was the real deal, for the few seconds it lasted. Unfortunately, just a mere moment after their lips had met, the pair jumped apart, startled by the tinny call of Chloe’s cell phone.

“Damn!” she muttered cursing her luck that the moment had been so easily lost when it felt so good, and so very real.

Quite ready to kill whomever was calling, Chloe snapped at the caller without paying any mind to the screen to see who was on the other end of the line. She immediately apologised when she was met by the voice of a sobbing Lois. Clearly the situation with Clark had gotten worse rather than better, since Lois rarely if ever wailed in such a manner that she needed her cousin's help right now.

Chloe knew she would have to go to her, and instantly. Glancing at Lex she found he was staring off into space, his fingers going subconsciously to his lips. It was impossible to read his expression, to know whether he was glad or regretful of their brief but glorious moment. It couldn’t matter now, Chloe didn’t have time to think about it as her cousin’s upset sobered her up enough to get her to her feet and ready to leave in seconds.

“I’ll be right there, Lois, just calm down, okay?” she said into her cell, before shutting it off and ending the call.

By the door, jacket on and purse in hand, about to leave, Chloe looked back at Lex who stared up at her from his position still on the floor.

“Chloe...” he began, but found he had no idea at all what the rest of the sentence was or even should be.

“I have to go, Lex,” she said with a shake of her head, signalling she had no time to talk. “I... I’m sorry,” she said finally turning to go, leaving him to make up his own mind as to what exactly she was apologising for.

In fairness, even Chloe wasn’t sure, but she didn’t have time to think about it now.

_Present Day - 15th December 2007_

Chloe physically winced as she thought back to that evening and how it might have played out has she not been called away. Of course she knew just exactly how it would have gone, because there was another similar night when she had been able to stay...

The reporters deep thoughts were cut off sharply as a squeal of tyres from behind caught her attention. Turning to look out the back window, she was a little shocked to see her husband tailing the limo in a Porsche, driving like some kind of maniac.

“Lex,” she breathed, half thrilled that he was following her, yet half terrified by the way he was swerving around on the road so erratically.

No sooner had she made the decision to ask the driver to stop and pull over, she realised it was all too late. Chloe watched in horror as the front tyre of Lex’s car stuck in a pot-hole or similar, the rest of the vehicle determined to stay in motion.

“Nooo!” she screamed in terror.

The car flipped end over end, off the side of the road and into a field, crashing and banging in a new and sickening way on each and every impact with the ground.

“Lex!”


	8. Chapter 8

_Present Day - 15th December 2007_

Lex was so hell-bent on catching up to the limousine that was carrying Chloe away from him, he paid little mind to anything regarding his driving. His speed was well over the limit, and his reaction times somewhat hindered at best by his over-consumption of alcohol before the journey began. Focused on where he was going more than how he was getting there, he was completely unaware of the pot-hole in the road until his tyre hit it and the car pulled out of his control.

The ground went out from under him and the rolling view of green and dark blue flashed by in a mess of colour and light. Though the air-bag deploying stopped him ramming his head into the steering wheel, his body was still thrown around terribly, the seat-belt pulling too tight across his chest as he was thrown over and over in a series of nausea-inducing somersaults within the car.

When the motion ended, Lex honestly didn’t know if he was upright, upside down, or anything in between. All he knew was that everything ached, and a darkness was coming over his eyes. All he could think was that now he’d missed all chance of catching up to Chloe, and he might well lose her forever. If that were true, he wasn’t sure he cared if he got out of this mess or not.

Lex was unaware that Chloe had witnessed his accident and had dived out of the car before the wheels had even stopped turning. Bolting from the road, down into the fields beyond, she was screaming his name the whole time, praying to God the worst had not happened. If he were dead, well, the thought didn’t even bear thinking of as far as Chloe was concerned.

Somewhere behind her, the limo driver was calling for an ambulance, also yelling at Mrs Luthor not to get too close to the upturned car for her own safety. Chloe hardly heard a word that was said to her as she scrambled over to the wrecked vehicle, getting down on her hands and knees to try to see if Lex was hurt or worse.

Tears streaming down her face, she practically screamed as she focused on her husband, hanging upside down in the driver’s seat, blood flowing into his eyes from an unknown source.

“Oh my God!” she exclaimed at the sight of him. “Please hold on, Lex, please don’t die! I love you!” she declared, not even thinking about the implication of her words, the mess it might make later.

All Chloe knew was that she couldn’t bear the idea of a life without Lex in it. It had been bad enough knowing she was driving out of his life, no longer living with him or spending much time in his company. To know he might no longer be for this world, that she must live her life without him altogether with no chance at all of reconciliation or anything, it was more than Chloe could bear.

As she sobbed and screamed, Lex fought to hear the words she said. Though she was yelling and barely three feet from his ears, Lex’s hold on consciousness was slight and he would barely hear a word she said. He fought to reach her, to fight the darkness, to talk to her, but no part of him worked. Words wouldn’t form, eyes wouldn’t open, a complete lack of control engulfed Lex and should’ve scared him to no end, but it didn’t, because somewhere through all the fog, just seconds before the world disappeared entirely, he heard three words from his wife, as clear as a bell.

“I love you.”

After that he fell into a beautiful dream, a memory that he’d tried to push away but never could, a place where for the first and only time in his life he’d felt complete.

_Ten Months Ago - 14th February 2007_

“Well, that wasn’t quite how I planned on this evening going,” said Chloe as she and Lex returned to the mansion and hurried inside out of the rain that was just starting to worsen.

“I suppose it could’ve been worse,” Lex remarked, a smirk forming on his lips as Chloe stood opposite him in the entrance hall, hands on hips and an incredulous expression all over her face.

The couple had banked on a pleasant enough evening at the Valentine's Day Costume Ball, coming home at a reasonable hour and getting a good nights sleep. Unfortunately, the powers had conspired against the young Luthor couple, and their ‘pleasant evening’ had fast turned into a laughable disaster.

Now, here Chloe stood, dripping rain water from each fancy frill and bow of her ornate gown, looking much less like the medieval lady she had been hours ago and much more like a drowned rat. The front of her dress was stained with bright red punch and her hair had lost the specific curls and style it had earlier, after getting caught up in the middle of a fight she had no business being a part of.

“If you will put yourself in the middle of other peoples disagreements, Chloe.” Lex shook his head at her, her eyes going comically wide at the remark.

“Oh, yeah, because you’re so good at minding your own, Alexander,” she scoffed, one hand physically showing him the rip in both his jacket and shirt, caused by his own part in the scuffle.

Looking down at their own appearance and then at each other, the whole ridiculous situation running through their minds at top speed, led to the pair bursting into fits of laughter simultaneously.

“Your cousin is becoming somewhat of a liability,” Lex noted with a chuckle, his hands going into his pockets. “One would think it should’ve occurred to her that playing her two lovers off against each other could only end badly.”

“Lois doesn’t care about making a scene.” Chloe shook her head, “So long as she gets the result she’s after, its consequences be damned with her.” She sighed. “She made sure Clark gate-crashed to ‘save her’ from the big bad billionaire,” she said over-dramatically, as Lex smirked at her explanation. “You didn’t seem so quick to get away from the action either.”

“Ah, well, Mr Queen and I have somewhat of a history,” he told her. “We’ve been keeping score since boarding school”

“Really?” Chloe looked curiously at him. “So it wasn’t my honour you were fighting for?” she said, feigning astonishment and hurt with a hand to her chest and fluttering eyelashes.

“I’m fairly certain I’d get into more trouble with you for suggesting you needed a man to fight for you, than for proving I didn’t do such a thing,” he told her with an amused look when Chloe found she had no way to argue with that.

“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “Every girl wants to feel like she’s worth fighting for sometimes,” she said a little more seriously than she meant to and her eyes met Lex’s own.

To this day, he couldn’t read her, though effectively they’d been married over a year. Still Lex Luthor realised he’d yet to learn all of Chloe’s looks and moods. There were so very many facets to her character, it intrigued him, and yet at the same time infuriated him too. Just when he thought he’d seen every angle, another showed up to knock him for a loop.

Of course, standing here contemplating the wonder of Chloe was doing Lex no favours at all as thoughts of learning every corner of her mind led to wanting to learn every facet of her body too. With her dress showing off her figure to its best and talk of love rivalries and such, Lex was almost overcome with his want for her once again. Every night a part of him craved her company, wished he was lying beside her as a real husband might. Sometimes he believed this marriage of convenience would be the undoing of him, and tonight was no exception.

“We should get to bed,” he said, knowing breaking this moment was the only thing to do, and yet realising all too late that his usual knack for carefully chosen words had just now escaped him.

Chloe started a little at the phrasing and blushed profusely when she caught herself even contemplating the idea that Lex might be suggesting they spend the night together. Of course, it wasn’t the first time she’d thought about it, far from it. Too many nights she’d laid alone in that bed, the one she knew he used to sleep in, and wished he was there with her, his arms around her, his lips on hers. It did nothing for the blush in her cheeks to recall such thoughts now, and she simultaneously shook her head and cleared her throat to right herself.

“Yeah, it’s pretty late,” she agreed, turning towards the staircase and making her way up with Lex just a pace behind her.

They made it all the way to the last step when Chloe’s heeled shoe caught in the hem of her long dress and she pitched forward. Her eyes tight shut and her body tensed, she waited for the impact that never came. Surely her head should’ve hit either the stair rail or the ground by now, but Chloe was stunned to realise she was still upright, almost anyway. It was then the burning started up around her waist and it occurred to her why she hadn’t fallen as Lex spoke softly near her ear.

“Are you okay?” he checked, his hands on her body making her shiver despite the heat she felt all over.

She could handle it in public, more or less anyway, because she wrote it all off as play acting for the audience, but behind closed doors every touch was almost too much for her to bear. She so wished it were all real, that it all meant something, that every gesture, every touch was to mean so much more than it really did, but it couldn’t and that made it all the more painful.

“I’m fine, thank you,” she said, forcing an awkward smile as she untangled herself from his grip and her wardrobe malfunction, and they stood together at the top of the stairs a moment, before both heading off down the hall.

This late at night there were few staff around, just a couple of security guys by each exit. In the main part of the house, Lex and Chloe were completely alone and mostly in the dark, something that wasn’t helping either of them to be comfortable. Thoughts running through both their heads had left innocent a couple of exits back, and there didn’t seem to be anything they could do about it. This distraction was perhaps why it never occurred to either of them that they didn’t need to enter the master bedroom together, that Lex could’ve easily taken another route and gone directly to the room he used each night without sneaking down the secret route from Chloe’s sleeping quarters. Maybe it was that simple, or perhaps they were both secretly hoping he wouldn’t have to use that other cold and lonely bed tonight.

‘It can’t happen,’ Lex told himself firmly as they reached the door and he stood behind Chloe as she unlocked it, the overwhelming aroma of her perfume and the shampoo in her hair assaulting his senses and doing nothing to convince him he’d be a fool to make any kind of move.

On the contrary, right now Lex was beginning to lose sight of any reason not to at least try his luck tonight. Perhaps he’d just drunk too much at the party, maybe the thrill of a fight and bringing down an old rival had stirred up other passions that needed to be sated. Lex wasn’t so sure either of these things could really be blamed. The fact of it was that on some level he’d wanted Chloe from the moment he first laid eyes on her in Vivanta years ago. This faux-marriage had only added to his predicament, and she was far less than dismissive each time they’d come close to getting close. 

Lex had no idea that Chloe was struggling just as much as he was to the point where her hands had completely forgotten how to operate the door-knob. Unlocking and opening the bedroom door took far longer than it ought to as he hovered behind her, the heat of his body very evident against her own bare back and shoulders. Fourteen months into this marriage, Chloe knew she had to hold out at least another four, ten if they were to pull this off exactly as planned, and she was seriously starting to wonder if she’d live that long, or if the growing sexual tension would kill her before then.

Finally getting the door open, the couple moved inside and deliberately put a good few feet of space between them. They stood awkwardly at the foot of the over-sized double bed, glancing at each other and the floor for too long before Lex decided he must tear himself away now before it was too late. Muttering a good night, he turned towards the wall through which he would make his escape just as Chloe made a discovery that she regretted mentioning the very second it had been done.

“Damn!” she cursed, catching his attention just as he reached for the switch that would open up the secret tunnel to his room.

“Chloe?” he said, looking back at her.

She couldn’t even look him in the eye as she explained.

“Uh, its fine, I just... I can’t actually get out of this dress by myself,” she admitted, opening her mouth to say more but finding the words wouldn’t come as Lex stared at her.

It was crazy, she was usually so good at wordy explanations, to the point where she could bore the pants off people... and then came more bad thoughts. Closing her eyes, Chloe tried to think of anything else, anything but Lex’s hands on her body just now, the kiss they’d shared in the apartment a few short weeks ago, the dreams she had about him almost every night. Suddenly she wondered at the strength of her own imagination as she felt fingers move across her shoulder blades and down her back. Chloe couldn’t breathe as she realised this was all very real, that when her eyes had been closed Lex had moved to stand behind her and was currently undoing each and every hook of her complicated dress just a little too easily.

She ought to have pointed out that she could get out of the contraception with just half the fastenings released and yet the words wouldn’t come, probably because she really couldn’t breathe at all, and her mind emptied of every rational thought in a second as Lex’s finger continued their descent down her spine. Though she shivered it was not from cold, even as the dress fell away and pooled around her feet. On the contrary, Chloe had never felt warmer in spite of the fact she was stood here now in nothing but her underwear.

As insane as the moment would have looked to anyone that could’ve seen, the couple who were husband and wife on paper stood for a moment, both rooted to the spot. Unsure where the courage came from, especially in what ought to be a vulnerable moment, it was Chloe that moved first, turning around to face Lex in all her glory, unsure what she was going to do next, if anything. Perhaps she just wanted to see what his reaction would be, but since her brain had gone into meltdown somewhere between tripping on the stairs and being undressed by this man, she couldn’t be sure what she was really thinking or expecting.

Lex wasn’t used to being out of control and yet all he wanted to do in this moment was leave go of his senses. It would be foolish to think that Chloe didn’t expect him to, even want him to do something, stood here facing him like this, making no moves to hide her body or encourage him to leave. He’d suspected before that the electricity between them was not all one-sided, that she had to feel something for him as he did for her. That kiss in the penthouse may have been months ago, but the momentary bliss of it was forever burnt onto his lips and his memory. It was too good to dismiss, it meant to much to him, and now here was a night that could mean so much more, that could fulfil a fantasy he’d held onto too long, in spite of the fact he’d told himself time and again he was a fool to even contemplate it.

“Lex,” Chloe said softy, her deliberately honeyed tone too much for his ears, “I’ve never seen you look so unsure of yourself,” she said seriously, not a hint of mocking in her voice as she stepped out of her dress and closer to him.

It was now or never as far as she could tell. There would never be another moment like this and she had to take advantage of it. Friendships and promises and good sense be damned, what she had experienced so far just wasn’t enough. The supposedly fake kisses and hugs in public, the touches behind closed doors that left her tingling with fire and electric currents on her skin, none of it sated her want for this man, it only made her crave him more and tonight was too much of an opportunity to miss.

Lex had nowhere to look but at her as Chloe filled his view and overtook his senses. When her hand reached up to his face his eyes fell shut a moment and it took all his will to steel himself against the usual desires that would crack a man of less character.

“Chloe,” he whispered, though he’d not meant to speak so softly. “What are you doing?” he checked, though obviously he knew, he wanted to make sure she realised before this went any further.

Though they’d both been drinking, neither were so drunk this could be put down to an alcohol-induced mistake, and after all, they were husband and wife, this ought to be the most natural thing in the world. Lex couldn’t rationalise anymore, couldn’t hear the voices in his head that would tell him what a mistake this might be. Everything melted away, every thought, the room around them, the whole world as Chloe reached up to put her lips to his for a moment.

“Lex,” she whispered, “this is what I want,” she promised him, hoping that was all he needed to hear, praying the only reason nothing had happened before was just because she’d never asked.

Chloe’s prayers seemed to be answered as Lex’s lips descended on her own and kissed her deeply, his hands returning to her body and pulling her form flush to his own. Too long waiting, passion over-taking them, it seemed tonight would be the wedding night they ought to have had so many months ago as they fell back onto the bed, never letting up hold of each other, never wanting to have to, as they finally made love for the first time.

Both Lex and Chloe would learn that night what it was to feel so totally loved and so entirely complete. Nothing compared to such a feeling, nothing ever could.


	9. Chapter 9

_Present Day - 15th December 2007_

Chloe couldn’t think, couldn’t even breathe, as the ambulance raced through Smallville, lights flashing and siren wailing. Two paramedics worked quickly and quietly on the body of a man so far removed from the one Chloe remembered marrying. Never had Lex looked so fragile as he did now, covered head to toe in cuts and bruises, blood seeping from too many wounds, his eyes closed and his skin pale. Chloe was so afraid of losing him, so scared that those blue eyes would never again open and look into her own.

She needed her husband, God knows she’d thought so before, but now faced with the prospect of losing him, her need to be with him increased tenfold. He couldn’t die without knowing how she felt, and despite her usual less than religious attitude, she prayed to every higher power that might potentially hear her that things would turn out okay.

It shouldn’t have taken something this bad to make her confess her love for him, and it was probably too late. She doubted Lex had heard anything she'd said this past half hour, though she’d poured her heart out in so many ways.

There were times when Chloe was sure Lex knew how much she loved him, and other times when he seemed completely oblivious. Still, she knew the worst times were neither of these, but on those odd occasions when the only rational explanation for a look, a word, or an action was that he felt just exactly the same way she did. It was too painful to let herself believe, something that had been proven all too well last Valentine's Day, or rather, the day after that.

The night had been perfect, and Chloe had never felt so truly complete as Lex Luthor made love to her for the first and only time. She’d stupidly allowed herself to believe that was it, the turning point, the night when everything changed between them, and their faux-marriage became real. How she could have been so wrong, Chloe couldn’t conceive. For every wonderful feeling she had experienced that night, there was a strike of pain to follow the very next morning. Even now as she thought of it, she winced with a sharp pain in her heart, and though she knew she should be concentrating on Lex’s pain alone right now, that didn’t stop her from remembering

_Ten Months Ago - 15th February 2007_

Chloe woke to the sound of birdsong outside her window and the warmth of the sun on her face. A smile curved her lips as the memory of last night tumbled through her mind, and for a few glorious moments she was basking in the beautiful glow of the fairytale that surrounded her. Unfortunately, when she turned to see her husband and lover who ought to have been there beside her, she found nothing but empty space. Her arm hit decidedly cold bedclothes and she realised with a frown that Lex must have been gone sometime from her side.

Sitting up, she looked around the room. Though her dress remained a few feet from the foot of the bed in a heap on the floor, Lex’s clothes were gone just as he was. There was a brief moment when Chloe actually considered she’d dreamt the whole event, but her body told her differently. Lex had been with her last night, had been within her and made her his in the truest sense. They had made love this time, it had not just been a fantasy, though there was really no evidence in the room to suggest her husband had been there at all.

Her investigative reporter instincts taking over, Chloe moved to get out of bed and slipped into clean underwear and a silky robe that covered just the essentials. She wasn’t going where anyone would see her, anyone but Lex of course, and he’d more than seen everything last night so it really didn’t matter.

Hoping rather than believing that Lex had left her for some reason other than hating himself for being weak and giving into temptation, Chloe opened up the secret hallway to the room he usually slept in and silently walked through. She hesitated at the final door, ever mindful of making a fool of herself. There was every chance that last night was just sex to her so-called husband, that their liaison was for the sake of a physical release rather than proof of a love than ran deep within. Nobody had mentioned love, and yet Chloe had felt it, and she couldn’t believe that Lex didn’t feel the same. Unfortunately, the realist in her knew there was every chance her imagination was running away with her, taking her on a fairytale ride where the prince in the castle really loved her, instead of just used her for a convenience marriage and apparently at least one night of passion.

Had she let her brain control her last night instead of a mixture of her heart and lust combined, Chloe knew she wouldn’t be in this situation, and yet, come what may on the other side of this door, she knew she wouldn’t trade the events of last night for anything in the world. Her mind started to float away on a cloud of beautiful memories, until she pulled herself up sharply and concentrated on the here and now.

Beyond this door she would find her husband, and he wold hold answers to the questions she always had. The words he spoke in the next few moments could make her day or break her heart, and the gravity of the situation was not lost of Chloe as she took a deep breath, steeled herself against any possible pain, and pushed open the door.

The wind was completely taken out of her sails when she realised the room was empty. If his bed had been slept in, there was certainly no evidence of it now, no tell-tale sign at all that anybody had been here in quite some time. A frown found its way back onto Chloe’s features as she hugged her arms around her body and wandered aimlessly across the room to sit on the edge of the bed, finding it as ice-cold as the other side of her own had been.

Tears came to her eyes as she realised what a fool she must’ve been, to open herself up in every possible way to a man, knowing that his feelings for her could never be what she wanted. Anger at herself turned to anger at Lex, and tears of sadness became droplets of frustration.

How dare he use her this way, treat her like one of his many whores? She was Chloe Sullivan, no, she was Chloe _Luthor_ , his equal in many ways. Whatever Lex’s reason for wishing their night of passion away, she was not about to let him run out on her without a word of explanation, he owed her that at least.

Picking herself up off the bed, Chloe stalked out of the main door to the room and off down the hall, forgetting for a moment that she was under-dressed for such an act. All that was on her mind was extracting some kind of explanation and apology from Lex for his treatment of her. Fool or not for telling him that last night was what she wanted, he ought to know her well enough by now to realise she would not have given herself over to him so freely were she not at least somewhat sure she meant something to him. She wasn’t the kind to sleep around, even if he was or had been. She wasn’t that girl, and as her husband, fake or not, Lex should know that. He was certainly going to know now, and a few more things besides, as she burst into the office he was most likely to be hiding in.

“Lex!” she boomed, her entrance worthy of her late father-in-law as she threw open the doors and faced her husband.

Startled by her sudden presence, but unwillinging to show it, Lex just held up a hand in the hopes of silencing her a moment as he attempted to finish his phone call.

“I’m afraid I’ll have to call you back, Senator. It seems we’re having a situation here at the mansion,” he said swiftly and calmly, though even at this distance Chloe could see a flicker behind the mask that hid Lex’s real feelings.

She was starting to know him too well and she knew that freaked him out, but in this moment, she was glad to know she might be scaring him just a little. After the way he’d treated her, he deserved it.

“Chloe...” he began just as soon as his call was gone.

“Should I be flattered that you remember my name?” she yelled back at him across the sizeable distance of the office, the doors wide open behind her.

Steeling himself against the barbs he knew she would throw and keeping his temper as best he could, Lex stormed over to her and shut both doors behind her with a crash.

“I don’t know what you think you’re doing, Chloe,” he said, staring down at her with cold eyes, “but I’d rather the staff don’t here all the details.”

“I’m sure they understand that couples fight, _honey_.” She faked affection through gritted teeth and anger that raged within her. “Lex, how could you do that to me?” she asked then, immediately wanting answers as she always did.

“As I recall, Chloe, you were the one who offered yourself to me,” he pointed out, not a hint of warmth or friendship and certainly no love in his eyes or tone.

Chloe couldn’t react, she could hardly believe this was the same man from last night as he walked by her once again to return to his desk. At the last moment, he changed his mind and instead stood with his back to her, staring out of the stained glass windows at the rolling fields of Smallville’s landscape.

“That’s it? That’s your explanation?” Chloe shook her head, stunned at his behaviour, though she knew she perhaps ought to have expected it. After all, this was Lex Luthor, famed womaniser and ruthless businessman.

Unfortunately for Chloe, she’d seen the other facets of his character, the sides of him that knew how to be a great friend, and a good man, and a gentle lover. She knew Lex maybe better than he knew himself sometimes, and yet every time she thought she’d got the man completey figured out, something like this happened, something that took every belief she’d had in him and shattered it like glass.

“Lex,” she ground out, anger and devastation fighting it out for the superior emotion she was feeling right now. “Tell me you didn’t use me like that,” she urged him, almost demanding him to do so.

At this moment, Chloe wasn’t sure if she cared if she were asking him to lie or not. She just needed to know he didn’t think so little of her as to use her the way it seemed he had. Maybe her thoughts from before were true, his words had certainly matched when she first came in. She offered him the chance and like any red-blooded male he took it. She’d never asked him to love her, only to want her, and that he had done.

“Come on, Chloe.” Lex smirked wickedly as he turned once again to face her, “What else are either of us really doing in this marriage except for using each other?” he asked her, hands in his pockets, casual as anything, as far as his wife could tell.

For the longest moment she stood and stared at him across the office space that was just a few feet and yet felt like miles. Last night, they’d been as close as two people could be, and now there might as well be an ocean between them. Lex was indifferent to her now, Chloe realised. Worse than that even, he was being cruel and thoughtless. If she could reach she would hit him, if she could really take in his words she would cry, but everything went numb in a moment.

It took every effort to make her legs work enough to carry her out of the room and back to her own at a rate of knots. When she bumped into one of the employees she barely noticed. Blinded by tears and far from appropriately dressed, she flew down the hall, slammed back into her bedroom, and cried like she’d never stop, screaming and yelling in frustration at the same time.

How Lex could speak to her that way, Chloe couldn’t conceive. If he didn’t love her, she could deal with that, but to be so cruel, to talk that way about the two of them using each other, it made her feel sick. If she had it in her to hate this man who was her unlikely husband she would do it, but perhaps what hurt Chloe more than anything Lex had said or done was the fact she still loved him, even now, and something told her she always would.


	10. Chapter 10

_Present Day - 15th December 2007_

Chloe sat her husband’s beside, gripping his hand in both of hers, tears welling up in her eyes and spilling over her lashes onto her already stained cheeks. Though much of her pain and concern was for Lex’s well-being that was still somewhat in jeopardy at this point, a great deal of remembering caused her suffering too. God, but she loved this man, in spite of the way he’d treated her in the past sometimes. This she told him, though she doubted he heard a word as the machines that were hooked up to him by tubes and wires made their regular beeping and humming sounds.

“I thought that morning after we... after we were together,” she said, sniffing hard, “I thought that was the most you could ever hurt me,” she explained, “but I’ll forgive you, Lex, I do forgive you, if you could please just come back to me,” she swore. “This hurts so much more than any words you said or thing you’ve done, knowing I could lose you, Lex... I can’t,” she said, in true despair as her head fell onto his arm and she cried like her heart would break - Chloe seriously thought it might if Lex didn’t return to her.

The doctors had done everything they could, so they said. Mrs Luthor couldn’t argue with them, only pray what they said was true. All signs so far were positive; breaks would mend and no more blood was being spilt. Unfortunately, there were certain things that could not be judged until Lex came round, _if_ Lex came round. What Chloe was most afraid of was the man she loved never waking up, or worse perhaps, waking with no memory of her, or no way to communicate with her.

Damage to Lex’s head and brain was uncertain, and until such time as he decided it was time to wake up and face the world, there was no real way to know what kind of state he would be in.

Closing her eyes tight shut, Chloe tried to block out all thoughts of tragedies that might be, and concentrate on the good things instead. So far Lex was alive, and his condition was stable. He was a strong man, in body, mind and will. The world at large knew that, but his wife knew it better than most.

There was so much Chloe still didn’t understand about the man she’d married two years ago today, and yet she was probably the closest person to him, the one who knew him best. Though she knew there were times enough when she had confounded him, Lex was such a puzzle sometimes too, and even the feisty reporter who was so good at digging out the truth had trouble keeping up with every twist and turn in his actions, in his very personality.

Taking a deep breath and trying to compose herself, Chloe shifted off the chair she sat in and perched on the edge of her husband’s bed, still clutching his hand in hers.

“We’ve been here before,” she said, trying to keep her tone even, stop her voice from cracking and breaking, so sick of crying over and over. “You remember, Lex? Only then it was me lying in the bed and you holding my hand...” she said, glancing around the hospital room, not so very far removed from the one she’d been in that fateful day.

_Nine Months Ago - 12th March 2007_

Chloe sat in the bathroom of the penthouse apartment, no one emotion visible on her face, simply because she felt numb inside. She had no idea how to react to her realisation, how to take in the information given by the evidence in her shaking hands. Thinking back, she ought to have noticed sooner that something was wrong, and well before that, she should have used good sense on a night when that particular value escaped her. In the heat of the moment, these things are forgotten, dismissed as unimportant, they shouldn’t be, but they are. Now came the consequences, and Chloe wasn’t willing to face those alone.

She tried to picture in her head how the conversation might go, tried to picture any conversation at all with her husband right now, but came up empty every time. She and Lex had barely been in a room together this past month, hardly even seen each other at all. Though Chloe knew she was going out of her way to avoid him, she wondered if he was doing the same. She couldn’t really call him on it, not least because she never saw him, but moreover because he wasn’t really doing anything he wouldn’t usually do. Same business trips and important meetings, the difference was neither of them had made any special effort to meet up, not even as the best friends they once were.

Such good friends having such good times, that was what they were before and what they might still be now had their passion and lust not overtaken them that one night a month ago. What should have been the turning point that switched them from friends to lovers in all senses of the word, had in fact made awkward foes out of the former confidantes.

Chloe still wondered at how Lex could have used her as he did. Had she been able to tell anyone about her situation, which of course she couldn’t, she knew what their opinion would be. She ought to have known better than get mixed up in business or pleasure with a Luthor. They were cold and conniving, all out for what they can get. Chloe knew Lionel had been just like that, and though Lex’s business side was ruthless, it wasn’t the whole of him.

Chloe had been handed an all-access pass to the inner world of Lex Luthor on the day they signed the paperwork that meant they were destined for marriage, or so she thought. She’d since learnt that ‘all-access’ wasn’t quite the right phrase, as whilst she tried baring her soul to her husband, he always held a few cards close to his chest, up his sleeve, and probably somewhere else altogether that she wouldn’t even think to look!

The mad ramblings of her brain soon got way off topic and Chloe shook her head to clear the tangle of thought processes within. She had to concentrate on the matter at hand, however scary that might be. Lex was due at the penthouse any minute now, this she knew from a couple of well-placed phone calls, and Chloe hoped by now she would be prepared to tell him the news she was unsure of his reaction to.

The kind side of Lex would want to help her, the nastier side would worm his way out of an awkward situation, but none of his moods or words were going to make Chloe feel any better, she was sure. Nothing would change the fact that right in this moment, this young woman was almost definitely pregnant, with Lex Luthor’s child.

Voices beyond the door startled Chloe out of further deep thought and she leapt to her feet, still clutching her pregnancy test in her hands. The first one had said positive, it ought to have been enough, but on the way over to the penthouse today Chloe had started to convince herself it might all be a big mistake. Maybe she took the test wrong, though peeing on a stick wasn’t exactly rocket science, she was sure it could be possible, either that or she’d bought a faulty test before. Armed with a second test from a drugstore across town, Chloe had decided this would be the one to decide her fate. It’s display of blue lines told her she was in fact with child, and her fate was sealed.

A part of Chloe almost wanted to be happy with her discovery, though a large part did not. Perhaps the scales would be tipped more favourably towards motherhood, had the father of the child given her so much as the time of day since their one night of passion. The coldness from her husband the morning after had been bad enough, Chloe was sure she couldn’t stand anymore, or worse his standing by her out of misguided duty.

Of course, she would never know what Lex thought of her pregnancy, and could make no big decision as to where to go from here until she told him her news. It was now or never she realised as she pushed the pregnancy test into a wad of tissue and tossed it into the trash before washing her hands. She took a deep breath and steeled herself, practised her best air of confidence look in the mirror and strode on out of the bathroom.

“Chloe,” Lex was visibly startled by her presence, though she was sure the doorman ought to have mentioned she was here on his way in. “Well, this is a surprise,” he said, tone flat and even, no hint of emotion sneaking in at all.

“I don’t see why, Lex, I do live here.” She smiled as best she could, an act for the security staff that were bringing in bags and cases from the boss’ latest trip.

Just as soon as the burly men had been dismissed, Chloe’s face fell and she stared down the man she’d done such a good job of avoiding this past month. Now she had to face him, now she had something important to tell him, something neither of them could run and hide from.

“So, Chloe,” he said, barely glancing her way. “How have you been?” he asked her, as if she were just another awkward acquaintance.

Carefully planned words went out the window then as the blonde’s blood boiled at the sound of such indifferent words.

“Oh, you know,” she said, shrugging her shoulders/ “Busy, lonely, bitter, pregnant,” she said without pause or ceremony, but he heard her, in spite of the fact he appeared to barely be listening the entire time.

“I’m sorry, what?” Lex checked, though he was fairly certain his ears had not deceived him.

“I said I’m pregnant, Lex,” Chloe repeated, staring him down. “And if you dare to ask me who the father is...” she challenged him, but he shook his head in the negative, confirming he already knew.

Chloe was at least pleased to note that Lex thought enough of her to trust her good character and judgement, to believe she would keep the promises they’d both made on entering into this faux-marriage that had become so much more than either of them ever could have imagined it would. She wouldn’t cheat on him, whether she wanted to or not. There had been no-one before him and no-one after in the whole of their marriage so far. That meant the baby growing inside of her was spawned only of their one encounter, and that was a lot to take in for the both of them.

Turning away from her, Lex was determined not to lose his cool and yet he did not find it easy. Running a hand over his bald head, he faced the window through which streaming sunlight came, and tried to find some words to say, some thought to have. Nothing came easily, and Chloe assumed she had both angered and upset him with her news. After all, he’d hardly been forthcoming with affection for her lately, she couldn’t imagine his greatest wish would be to raise a child with her. Hell, in nine months time they were planning on getting a divorce, not welcoming a baby into the world.

“I don’t mean to imply you don’t know your own body, Chloe,” he said suddenly turning back to face her, “but are you absolutely certain? Has a doctor confirmed it?”

“Only tests from the drugstore,” she admitted, tears forming in her eyes. “Two of them,” she said, her voice too soft for her own ears.

She hated that she couldn’t be stronger right now, hated that Lex couldn’t be nicer or happier or something other than cold and calculating. He was focused on the facts and decisions to be made. She could see the cogs in his brain turning, trying to figure out what to do next. There was no emotion, no love for her, no joy at the prospect of possibly being a parent. She shouldn’t have expected it, but somewhere deep inside she had hoped for it. Not that she was about to tell him that. Unfortunately, though words were easily unsaid, emotions were less simple to hide for her. Chloe was a Luthor in name only, and as such didn’t have the ability to hide all she felt so constantly. It was all starting to get the better of her, this pregnancy more than anything else, and the tears that had been welling up in her eyes finally spilled over her lashes and ran down her cheeks unchecked.

“Chloe.” Lex spoke her name not in his usual tone, but in that soft and comforting way that she had so missed these past few weeks.

She ought to have resisted, pushed him away and told him what an asshole he was, but when he reached to put his arms around her, hold her close and comfort her whilst she cried, she let him do it. In spite of her own better judgement, this was where Chloe wanted to be, the only place on Earth she felt so safe and warm. Later, the pain would come again, the knife in her back right at the moment she was least expecting it, but the flame of hope in her heart would not die. She had to believe everything would be okay, so long as Lex’s arms were around her.

* * *

Lying on the hospital bed, just hours after breaking her news to Lex, Chloe was glad of his hand around hers, promising her there was nothing to worry about. She wanted to believe him, as well as the doctor that had assured her of the same. Unfortunately, hospitals made Chloe very nervous and the lack of a definite answer from anyone in this place since they’d arrived wasn’t helping boost her confidence in her medical profession.

“I hate these places.” Lex sighed from his place sat on the edge of the bed beside her, almost as if he’d read his wife’s thoughts.

“Not loving it myself,” she admitted. “Especially since what that doctor says when he gets back here... its going to change our lives, Lex.”

“I know.” He nodded, a small smile on his lips that Chloe wished she understood.

It could be that Lex loved the idea of a child in his life, though he’d never told her as such. As best friends, they’d talked about a lot of things, but future family life was not one of them. Having a son or daughter might be a dream for Lex, and yet Chloe doubted she was the ideal woman for him to have those children with. She wished it was true, but she couldn’t quite believe it.

“Mrs Luthor, Mr Luthor,” the doctor greeted them as he returned to the room, his expression not one that Chloe was comfortable with.

“Is something wrong, doctor?” she asked him straight, knowing if there was she didn’t want him to beat around the bush, she wanted to hear it out right so she could start dealing with it.

“Not as such, no,” he assured her as Lex absently squeezed Chloe’s hand. “I’m afraid there has been some mistake. Mrs Luthor, you’re not pregnant.”

That was not exactly what she had been expecting to hear, if she could say she’d been expecting anything at all. She was sure, she’d done two tests, and so she told the doctor who explained it was uncommon but not impossible for the tests to be wrong. There were various reasons to do with hormone levels and such that Chloe barely took in as they were explained to her. All she could concentrate on was her cold and empty hand as Lex’s own slid away and he left the room, his back to her now as she stared through the glass at him.

Whether he had left to save her feelings because he was so relieved or if he was really genuinely disappointed by the news, she didn’t know, and for the sake of her sanity, Chloe would never ask. She simply had to re-adjust to the fact that a mistake had been made, that her life was not about to change, be it for better or worse. 

_Present Day - 15th December 2007_

Chloe felt another stray tear on her cheek and wiped it away with the back of her hand as she recalled that day nine months ago. If she and Lex were to be in a hospital now, it might’ve been so much happier, she might have been giving birth to their baby. It was all a pipe-dream, a silly girl's fantasy, but it didn’t stop Chloe from hoping and wishing for something like that one day. For now, all she wanted was for Lex to wake up and be okay.

She’d been wrong back then, thinking things wouldn’t change, that she and her husband would continue in regular avoidance and cold silence. He never did apologise for the way he treated her on that day that Chloe had dubbed ‘the morning after the night before’ in her head, but he did change. They almost became friends again, and though she knew she shouldn’t allow him to get away with what he’d done, Chloe couldn’t stay mad at him. In her head, she rationalised that maybe he was scared of the closeness, or that it was all her own fault, anything to stop the whole situation from meaning that Lex had used her, when all she could do was love him.

“I always said I’d never let myself get so dependant on anybody, that I couldn’t do anything and all by myself,” Chloe told her comatose husband, though she doubted he could hear. “Maybe I could, maybe I can, but I don’t want to, Lex,” she said tearfully, putting a hand to his face. “I need you back. I need you and I love you, please don’t leave me like this, not now!” she begged, her words disappearing into violent sobs as she laid her body against his and cried like her heart would break.

As the salt water from her eyes trickled onto the bare skin of her husband's chest, Chloe was sure she felt him move. She was hardly breathing, lying perfectly still as she waited to see if she’d imagined it all. Then she felt the beautifully familiar feeling of his fingers in her hair and a wave of relief crashed through her body.

“Lex!” she cried, pulling her head up from his chest and seeing his eyes were definitely open - he was awake.


	11. Chapter 11

“I’ve completed the next set of tests, and all the signs are good” the doctor told Chloe with a smile, as they stood outside the door to the hospital room. “Although, I have to warn you Mrs Luthor, your husband might not be out of the woods yet.”

Chloe barely heard that part of what the doctor had to say. All she knew was that Lex wasn’t dead and that signs were good. She couldn’t concentrate on anything but that right now. She’d been so afraid of losing him forever, just knowing she hadn’t was enough.

“Can I go back in and sit with him again?” she asked, peering through the glass panel at Lex and just wanting so badly to be close to him.

“Of course,” the doctor assured her, “but he is a little groggy still, and his memory of exactly what happened is likely to be vague,” he explained. “It’s perfectly normal for the human brain to block out the trauma that caused the accident, and I’m sure that’s all that’s happened, since Mr Luthor was quite able to recall other facts such as his name and yours, date of birth, etc.,” he told her.

Chloe barely heard a word beyond those that told her she was free to re-enter the room and be with her husband.

Lex had his eyes closed when she went back into the room, which briefly disappointed her. Just as soon as she stood over him though he seemed to sense her presence and his eyelids flickered open, allowing him to gaze up at her.

“Hey,” she said softly, with a smile that wavered slightly with all the emotion that was overtaking her.

“Chloe.” Lex breathed her name, loving the fact she was here with him and yet a little confused by her presence too.

Whilst the doctor had told him he’d had an accident and was at Smallville General, everything else was kind of a blur to the young Mr Luthor. What exactly his accident entailed was as yet unclear to him, as were the events leading up to it. He grappled within his mind to remember anything that would help him figure out how he ended up in a car wreck. He must have been alone since Chloe was unscathed, something he was grateful for. They’d had such a fight, there was no reason at all that she should want to be with him in any way, and yet she was here now.

“What’s wrong?” Chloe asked with a frown. “Is there pain? Should I call the doctor back?” she asked worriedly, but Lex shook his head slightly.

“No, I... I’m just trying to remember,” he admitted as he stared up at her tear-stained face in confusion.

She was so concerned, almost afraid, and it was clear she’d been crying a great deal. He remembered what some of those tears were for, the awful things he’d said to her during the fight he recalled, but she had definitely given as good as she’d got. How that had led to his being here at the hospital, he still couldn’t figure. Asking Chloe about it seemed to be his only option.

“Chloe, how did we end up here?” he asked. “I can’t...”

“Ssh, don’t worry about that now,” she told him, holding his hand tight in both of hers. “Its okay, Lex, it’ll all come back soon, don’t push it,” she advised. “The doctor says you’ll be fine, your brain’s just blocking out the trauma whilst you heal.”

Lex let those words sink in and disagreed with them. If his brain was trying to block out everything traumatic, it wouldn’t be throwing up so many scenes in his head of his arguments with Chloe.

They hadn’t fought much for the first eighteen months of their fake marriage, they’d started out as best friends, after all, and had no real reason for falling out. Still, their divorce was to be imminent and so they had planned to stage their first big public fight to show people their relationship was falling apart. It would look too strange to simply divorce out of the blue, when no-one had seen them be anything but smiles and hugs up to that point.

Unfortunately, in the heat of the staged fight, a few too many truths were spoken, a couple of things that ought to have remained hidden were revealed. Right after that fake fight came the real one, the big one, the one that Lex wondered if there was any coming back from, the last thing he remembered clearly before everything in his head became a spinning mess of words and pictures that made no sense at all, though somewhere in the midst of it all he thought he heard the words ‘I love you’. That couldn’t be true, not when he considered the nature of the night he was remembering so very clearly, every word, every blow, so painfully clear as he relived it all behind his eyes.

_Six Months Ago - 16th June 2007_

“Are you sure you’re ready for this, Chloe?” Lex whispered to her as they stood amongst the crowd at one of the biggest social events of the year.

He spoke of course of their first staged argument, to show the world that their marriage was far from stable, and ensure that nobody would be surprised as one fight led to two, then the two of them seldom being seen together, until finally they broke up and planned to divorce in six months time.

Chloe knew it was all necessary, but that didn’t mean she liked the idea of embarrassing herself and Lex in front of all these people, for the sake of breaking up a marriage that she truly didn’t want to end. As stupid as it was, even now a part of her believed that things could work out, that Lex would realise he loved her and would want to make their relationship real. Of course her common sense mostly over-ruled her foolish heart, but she never stopped wishing, even now as she nodded her head and answered him.

“I’m ready,” she agreed, taking a deep breath as she started to walk away and across the grand ballroom to where a group of gentlemen were discussing business. “Excuse me, Mr Wayne...” she said, catching his attention.

Lex watched from afar as his wife invited his rival to dance and was accepted. They moved too well together, Lex hated that. Though he knew this was all a ruse, a plan of his own making, he hated to see Chloe close to another man like this. Bruce Wayne was just so unworthy of a woman like her. Hell, Lex sometimes wondered if he deserved all that she did for him, and he was sure he did not.

Intending to wait a moment longer before his planned intervention, Lex found he could no longer bear to watch, as Bruce’s hands slid further down Chloe’s body than they really ought to, and she didn’t seem to mind at all. Striding purposefully over to the couple, he was to play the part of jealous husband to perfection, and it would take little in the way of acting skills, he found.

“For God sakes, Chloe, what are you trying to prove?” Lex said deliberately loudly as he grabbed her arm and forcibly pulled her away from her dancing partner.

That part at least she knew was coming and moved with him instead of against him to be sure he caused her no harm. Neither of them really wanted to hurt each other, this was only acting, a floor show for the rest of the high-class world to show that their marriage was on the rocks. What better way to prove such a point than to have the two of them accusing each other of infidelity or at least considering the act?

“Lex, keep your voice down, you’re making a scene,” Chloe hissed, knowing that in spite of the fact these were words she rehearsed almost exactly, she meant them for real too.

She didn’t want to do this, she really wished there was another way, but it was too late now.

“If anyone is putting on theatrics, Chloe, it’s you,” Lex said angrily, the contradictory ice and fire in his eyes so real it made Chloe shudder with its intensity as he stared her down. “What? Am I supposed to be jealous of you falling all over the first guy you see?”

“It was just dancing, Lex,” she argued as she was supposed to, though within herself she felt her anger rising.

Of course what he accused her of and the anger with which he did it was supposed to be as fake as the rest of the fight that had been pre-arranged, but inside of Chloe her own fury was very real. Pent up emotions from months of wondering and waiting and hoping and hiding were desperate to burst out of her as Lex laid into her about her so-called crime of dancing with Bruce Wayne tonight.

“If you hadn’t noticed, he’s not Patrick Swayze and this isn’t a holiday romance,” he said, gesturing between his fellow businessman and Chloe. “You are my wife, I expect you to act with decency and modesty,” he told the blonde, pointing an angry finger at her as if he were scolding a child

Though she knew she shouldn’t let it happen, Chloe’s own rage hit boiling point, so embarrassed was she by this whole performance, and so sick of playing Luthor games whilst locked inside this marriage that it seemed would never become that which she so craved.

“You’re delusional!” she yelled at him, her meaning so much more than he could ever comprehend. “And even if I were seeking attention elsewhere, can you really blame me?” she challenged him, “It’s not like you show me any kind of affection!” she screamed, the rational part of her brain panicking just briefly that she might have been altogether too clear, that Lex might know she was no longer acting, but no, he seemed oblivious to it all.

“That’s it, we’re leaving!” he said more calmly, reaching to grab her wrist with his hand.

He was a little confused when she genuinely pulled away, much as he had been by the vigour with which she fought against him with her words. Either Chloe was an actress worthy of an Oscar, or she had some issues with him that were very real.

“Get your hands off me, asshole!” she yelled, and as his eyes caught hers he realised he was right.

Genuine tears sparkled in those hazel orbs he had several times been afraid of drowning in, and the pain on Chloe’s face was real too. He was so distracted by this that he failed to realise she was still struggling to free her arm from his grip, until Bruce began to intervene.

“Lex, come on, calm down,” Mr Wayne urged him, but the last thing Lex wanted right now was interference from an outsider.

Lashing out without a thought, he clocked Bruce right across the face, sending him reeling from the unexpected blow. Somewhere in the middle of all this, Chloe got away, bolting from the ballroom as fast as her figure hugging dress would allow. Ignoring the commotion behind him as someone ran to Bruce’s aid and others made comments about the state of the Luthor marriage, Lex hurried after Chloe, catching up to her in a side room which he entered and closed the doors behind them. She was stood by the window with her back to him, so still it looked as if she’d almost been frozen there like a statue.

“I think we can safely say mission accomplished tonight,” Lex said carefully, ever mindful of that look he’d seen in Chloe’s eyes before.

She may just be that good of an actress, but he doubted it, he would have noticed it before now if she were.

“Leave me alone, Lex, please,” she urged him and tears were evident in her voice as he approached her.

“Chloe...” he said, ignoring her wishes only out of concern for her well-being as he reached out to her and encouraged her to turn to face him. “I don’t understand, I thought you said you could handle this.”

“Well, maybe I was wrong,” she said, forcing his hands off her body, because she just couldn’t bear the contact right now, if at all. “I hate this, Lex, all of it. I hate that our friendship is falling apart! I hate that I just let you make a fool of me in front of all those people!” she yelled, tears flowing freely down her face and only making her more angry and frustrated at herself for showing weakness - she was a Luthor now but she was yet to learn how to be immune to all emotion, she doubted she ever would gain such a skill, not if she had fifty years to try.

“It’s for the greater good, Chloe,” Lex told her, showing not a single grain of emotion, in spite of the fact it was shredding his heart to see her suffer so, and of his own infliction.

“For whose greater good?” she challenged him. “Mine?” she said with a hand to her chest, a bitter laugh escaping her lips as she continued. “No, only yours, Lex. All this is about you and your precious inheritance!” she reminded him, only serving to make Lex as mad as she was.

He hated that she was hurt, of course he did. Everything else aside, they’d started out on this road as best friends, and he loved her as that at least, even if the rest of what he felt was to be buried too deep to recall. Still, he wouldn’t take that from her, wouldn’t have her blame him for everything. He’d asked a hundred times if she was sure about taking the plunge into this agreement, and each and every time her answer had been the same. She was so sure she wanted in on this deal, and though she may have suffered for it in other ways, she could not and would not stand there and accuse him of having everything his way. He’d done all he could to make her happy financially, even if emotionally he had struggled.

“My ‘precious inheritance’ is putting you through college in case you forgot,” he reminded her, eyes like steel as he spat back at her. “It’s paying for your dress, your jewellery, everything you have!” he told her, gesturing to each and every thing she wore because of him and his cash. “You are turning out to be the most expensive escort I ever hired,” he sneered, regretting the words the moment they fell from his lips, not least because Chloe’s hand shot out to slap his face so hard it felt like his head would come off with the shocking force.

He was honestly too stunned to react to the blow, and a good thing too since the one thing he would never, could never forgive himself for would be striking a woman, least of all Chloe.

“I may be costing you a lot, Lex,” she cried, both angry and hurt by his cruel and harsh words, “but you make me feel cheap and dirty. I can’t wait 'til we can be divorced so I can get away from you!” she said sadly as she turned and bolted for the door.

“Chloe!” Lex called behind her, resisting the urge to chase her down for fear of making things worse for her, himself, and appearances in front of the other guests.

He hadn’t meant to hurt her, not really. It was a defence mechanism to lash out that way without a thought, action now and consequences to be dealt with later. This was perhaps the time when he regretted his reactions most, not least because the image of pain in Chloe’s eyes would be indelibly burned into his memory for as long as he lived.


	12. Chapter 12

_Present Day - 15th December 2007_

Lex had fallen asleep, somewhere in amongst his minds search through a hundred memories, in an attempt to recall how he had landed up here in a hospital bed, with Chloe at his side. Though he was more than happy to have her here, apparently entirely concerned for his well-being, he couldn’t figure out at all how she came to care so much after all that had happened between them. He also couldn’t fathom, for the longest time, how he ever came to be in a car-wreck. Though his driving was usually somewhat erratic and almost always exceeded the speed-limit, he’d never had a crash quite like this one, to the point where it was a difficulty for him to even keep his eyes open or recall what had happened to him!

Once asleep and free to dream, Lex found his sub-conscious threw all manner of images and thoughts at him, letting him recall the events of his life he’d previously been missing, albeit in a fairly random and jumbled pattern. From the party at Bruce Wayne’s and the last fight with Chloe that he remembered all too clearly, Lex found himself catapulted through scene after scene of life after that day as the calendar spun on six months or so to the present day.

That last staged fight at the special dinner for their second wedding anniversary, Lex experienced every emotion as he had done standing there opposite Chloe the two of them accusing each other of invented crimes and a divorce demanded. He saw the scenes that followed, the moments together in the next room until finally she had left. One scotch and two and more, and then climbing into his car to go after her, Lex saw it all in vivid technicolor, including the moment when the car hit a pothole and flipped end over end sending him reeling, the final impact feeling as if he ought to have been dead as pain shot through every nerve, muscle and bone.

Lex woke with a start, sitting up sharply in the hospital bed and very nearly dislodging the line in his arm which pulled and caused him further pain. The shock of recalling the horrific crash had brought him out of fitful sleep back into the real world far quicker than he was ready for, and even awake he relived the horror and pain within his head.

His sudden movement, as well as the noise he made that he probably wasn’t aware of, also caused Chloe to stir from her place in the nearby chair. When her husband had drifted off into what she assumed to be a peaceful slumber, the little blonde had allowed her need for sleep to take over too. Now she was suddenly awake as Lex was and almost as panicked as she saw the expression on his face.

“Lex?” she said, immediately at his side, hands on his arms as she tried to make him meet her eyes. “Lex, what’s wrong?” she asked desperately, afraid for him and what might be happening to him.

Breathing erratically, it took Lex a moment to realise where he was and what was happening. What he’d experienced was a dream, but it had still been real. He had experienced that crash, and just now relived it far too vividly. Still, he knew he was safe now. Chloe was here, he was alive, it had to be all that mattered, at least for the moment.

“I remember,” he said, finally breathing more steadily as he adjusted to his situation and let his brain and body catch up with each other. “Chloe, everything... I lost control of it,” he told her, reaching for her hand which she immediately gave.

“Lex, its okay,” she promised him, encouraging him back down onto the bed and to calm down. “It’s over now, and you’re going to be okay”

He knew as he gazed up at her, the concern on her face was real, but the words were wrong. She thought he was talking about the car and the accident, but he wasn’t. Lex may have lost control of that vehicle, but he’d done that so many times before with varying consequences. Cars he could replace, broken bones would heal, but what he’d risked between himself and Chloe, the destruction of their friendship and everything else that might’ve been between them, these were the things he feared were irreparably damaged.

He’d lost control of the situation from Day One, truth be told, and as time went on things only got worse, more complicated. Still the car wreck that landed him here was as good a place as any to start. They’d done this long enough now, dancing around each other, Lex decided. Every thought and memory that had assaulted his senses in his fitful sleep had revolved around Chloe and his life with her. She had become his life, his world, his reason for everything he did, and in this moment Lex Luthor couldn’t find one reason to pretend otherwise a moment longer.

“Why do you think I was driving so fast, Chloe?” he asked her straight, his mind clearer, everything calm now.

“I don’t know,” she said softly in response, as she looked awkwardly around herself.

Clearly she had some idea, she was just too afraid of heart break to say it aloud, Lex realised. The pictures his head had shown him in sleep only backed up his theory that she had to feel something for him, it was the only way to make sense of so many situations, so many fights, so many memories.

“Yes, you do, Chloe, because you’re not stupid, and of all the people in my life, you’re the one that has to know me best,” he said firmly, as the blonde looked away, unable to bear the intensity she saw in his eyes.

Oh, but she wanted his meaning to be clear, wanted him to be saying the words she’d waited too long to hear, but Chloe wasn’t quite willing to let herself believe that anything had brought this man to the point where he loved her enough to admit it to her. Though accidents such as his tended to bring on life-altering decisions, until she was sure of what he meant to say, Chloe would rather blame all this on the ramblings of a medicated man.

“I had to catch you, before it was too late,” he continued when she didn’t answer, gripping her hand tightly in his own, “before you were potentially gone from my life forever. Chloe, you have to know by now, how I feel.”

“How can I, Lex?” she interrupted, in spite of the fact he may very well have been about to say all she ever wanted to hear, she had to guard herself against further heartbreak in all of this. “How can you lie there and tell me all this, after everything... after the way you treated me?” she said, fighting tears once again as she thought back over all the awful fights they’d had, the accusations and insults that she could perhaps forgive but never forget.

“I handled things all wrong, I know,” Lex admitted, a mean feat for a man from the Luthor family, told from birth never to admit failure or make apologies, and yet that was what he seemed to be doing right now. “That morning after we were together, Chloe, and the night in Gotham... I knew I was behaving badly, but you have no idea how hard this has been for me,” he told her, unready for the explosion that followed.

“For you?” Chloe said a little too loudly, so astounded was she by that particular statement. “Oh yeah, it must have been so hard for you when you were treating me like some whore you used for the night and tossed aside like trash the next morning,” she said, both angry and upset.

She had every reason to be, of course, Lex couldn’t blame her. He had treated her badly, and he knew it. He wanted desperately to make it up to her, but that was going to take time. All he could do now was try to explain why he had behaved as he did, and hope she understood, even a little.

“It wasn’t anything like that, Chloe,” he tried to tell her as she ripped her hand from his grasp and turned her back on him, wanting to walk out but finding she couldn’t do it, perhaps because she knew it would be unfair when he hadn’t the means to follow her right now. “I can’t blame you for being hurt, it was what I intended then. Chloe, it shouldn’t be an excuse, but I wasn’t exactly raised to be good at dealing with emotions like these,” he tried to tell her, hoping she would listen, though not entirely convinced. “After my mother died, my father's best advice was to keep any and all feelings under wraps and never lose control of them. That night with you, Chloe, I never knew letting go of everything could feel so good,” he told her, as honestly as he’d ever spoken, grateful when she turned back to look at him once again. “When I woke up next to you, I could hardly believe I hadn’t dreamt the whole thing,” he said seriously, looking so much more human than any outsider might believe a Luthor could. “You   
looked like an angel and so perfect, I just panicked,” he told her, spilling out his thoughts and feelings, something Chloe had hardly ever known him to do before.

That was when she saw him, not Lex Luthor the business tycoon, or the face he showed the press and public, but the man she had agreed to do a favour for over two years ago now. Chloe saw her best friend, her confidante, the man she had happily married for a deal even as she realised she was falling in love with him in a very real way. Here was the honest and truthful man who used to be able to confide in her. She hated that they’d ever lost that.

“You could have talked to me,” she tried to tell him, sniffing and wiping a stray tear away.

“No, I couldn’t,” he told her. “All I could think about was all the ways it could go wrong, the pain we would both suffer in the long term, and I admit, my own suffering if you’d regretted what we’d done in the light of day,” he explained, letting out everything he’d been bottling up too long and finding that he felt good about it. “Most of all, Chloe, I was afraid or irreparably damaging our friendship by allowing us to stay so close,” he said, knowing what he was risking by saying so and watching a little steel return to Chloe’s eyes that had grown soft and misty before.

“So you threw up the steel gates, and lashed out at me,” she said, anger tingeing her voice. “You’d rather give me reason to hate you than risk being in love?”

“Perhaps.” Lex nodded once, knowing that for all his supposed good sense, he really had been that naive. “I don’t know, Chloe. All I can do is apologise and admit I was a fool back then,” he told her. “I knew what an idiot I’d been the last time we were in this place, but by then it all felt too late.”

“When we were here...” Chloe looked confused a moment, disorientated by too much information all at once. “I... About the baby?” she said in sudden realisation as she sank down onto the edge of the bed beside him, her legs feeling too wobbly to hold her anymore.

“Chloe, it would’ve been messy and impractical and I know it. I knew that I should’ve been relieved to hear about the false alarm, but I wasn’t,” he explained.

Chloe’s brain went into over-drive. She’d just been so convinced of his relief at her non-pregnancy, this was very hard to take in, and yet she knew he was being truthful, the look in his eyes told her that.

“I couldn’t breathe when the doctor told me the truth,” Lex admitted. “I had to get out, I... A part of me had to mourn the child we never even had.”

“You wanted me to be pregnant,” Chloe said softly, a statement, not a question, because his meaning was all too clear, “Why?” she had to ask, unable to process what he was saying, afraid she was deeming or letting her imagination run away with her.

“Because I want you, Chloe,” he told her, reaching out a hand to her cheek. “I want you as my best friend and my wife and my lover, and I want you to understand how much I care about you, how I fell in love in spite of all the obstacles both inside of me and in the world,” he explained as her eyes fell shut and she leaned into his touch. “I fell in love with you, and I was a fool to think I could ever change that.”

“Lex,” she breathed, covering his hand with her own at her cheek, opening her eyes to look into his once again. “I can’t...” she began, but he didn’t let her finish, taking the negative beginning to mean the whole sentiment would follow suit.

“I should’ve known you couldn’t feel the same,” he said bitterly, his heart breaking under the strain as he pulled his fingers from her grasp and turned his face away. “It’s always been about him hasn’t it?” he accused, eyes shooting knives as he looked back at her. “You said he meant nothing to you but-”

“But nothing, Lex,” Chloe said, her looks and tone just as icy as his, a natural ability they both possessed. “He _doesn’t_ mean _anything_ to me,” she emphasised, leaning over him and practically forcing her words and their meaning into his head so he understood.

She thought he had before, but clearly he hadn’t listened then.

_Two Months Ago - 8th October 2007_

“Jimmy, please, you can’t be here...” Chloe told him desperately, looking towards the door once again and praying Lex wouldn’t overhear them and come to see what was happening.

The last thing she needed to try and explain was why she had a man at the mansion, expressing love for her and practically begging her to run away with him!

“You said eighteen months, Chloe,” the young man before her said urgently, taking both her hands in his and demanding her attention. “You said this would all be over and then I could call you, but you don’t answer any of my messages,” he told her, looking both upset and angry as his grip on her fingers tightened beyond comfort.

“Then take the hint, Oleson!” she exploded a little as she pulled free of his grip and took a step back in order to keep him out of her personal space. “I’m not interested!” she said firmly, wishing she hadn’t been so stupid as to let this guy get close to her, one moment of weakness that she was apparently going to pay for yet.

“I don’t believe that, Chloe,” he said with a shake of his head. “Not after that night we spent together-” he started, only to be interrupted buy the doors being thrown open and the man of the house striding in unannounced.

“Chloe, what is going on?” Lex asked her, a formidable figure in black as he walked over and stood between her and the young man he did not know, towering over the both of them.

“Lex,” Chloe looked startled a moment, but held her composure admirably well he thought as she glanced between the two men. “Uh, this is Jimmy Oleson, he’s... a friend,” she said, struggling for any the explanation, something her ‘friend’ did not have such problems with.

“A little more than a friend,” he said with a smirk, holding out a hand to Lex. “So nice to finally meet the great Lex Luthor. Y’know, I know your fake wife very well,” he said cockily.

Lex did not look at all amused.

“Jimmy, please,” Chloe said, looking pained, a hand going to her head as she realised she was never going to get out of this now without giving some serious explanations to Lex, something she would happily have avoided. “Will you just leave?” she practically begged of Jimmy, hoping his apparent feelings for her were at least enough to make him want to spare her anymore of this awkwardness.

“Fine,” he said, all defiant in a little boy with a tantrum sort of way as he looked between the woman he supposedly loved and the husband he knew to be a business deal and nothing more, “but don’t think I’m letting this go. The minute I hear this insanity is over, I’ll be here, waiting for you to come to your senses,” he told Chloe as he went for the door, not sparing Lex a glance as he went.

The moment the doors closed behind the young man, Lex turned to Chloe with a surprisingly calm and even manner.

“Chloe, would you please tell me how many more of your unwelcome friends know about our highly classified arrangement?” he said, and the blonde was not so blind she missed the blade hidden beneath his velvet-smooth words.

“Nobody else knows,” she assured him, knowing all this was coming from the second Jimmy went and opened his big mouth. “Jimmy wasn’t supposed to know either, I just... God, I thought this was done and dealt with!” she said angrily, waving her arms in an emphatic gesture of annoyance as she paced the room some and then came back to face her husband. “Lex, you remember the day we signed the papers at your lawyer's office? The pre-nup thing?” she said tiredly, knowing she just had to get this over with so it was done.

With just three weeks left before their marriage took a tumble down the great black hole that was divorce, she may as well spill her guts, if only so Lex didn’t think she had a reserve lined up for when their faux-marriage came to end. Not that it ought to matter to him, but it did matter to Chloe.

“Of course I remember, Chloe.” He nodded once, wanting only for her to get to her explanation as quickly as possible so he could calm down and rid himself of the urge to chase Jimmy outside and pound him into the asphalt.

“You may also remember I was late because I was doing some business,” Chloe continued, disliking the look Lex got in his eye when he spoke next.

“Chloe, are you trying to tell me that young Mr Oleson was the business you were... doing?” he said with a slight smirk that she’d like to wipe off his face.

Instead of lashing out like a child, Chloe took the higher ground, sparing him only a disgusted look before she continued recounting events.

“The night before, I went to see my father. I told him I was getting married and he was obviously shocked,” she explained. “When I told him it was to you, he figured out immediately why we were doing it, and he gave me an ultimatum,” she sighed, hating the memories she was forced to drag up. “Basically if I married you, for as long as I was a Luthor, he would have nothing to do with me. Me being a fool, I actually thought he was bluffing,” she said with a slight and humourless laugh. “Turns out he wasn’t.”

“I’m sorry about your situation with your father, Chloe,” Lex said honestly, and she at least believed he did feel bad about causing that particular heartache, “but that doesn’t explain-”

“I’m getting to that!” she snapped, hating that their three seconds of genuine connection, the like of which she’d barely experienced in almost two years, was ruined by having to talk about what had been perhaps the biggest mistake she ever made. “Jimmy was... well, he was kind of my boyfriend once,” she explained, fingers lacing and unlacing in front of her as she looked everywhere but at Lex. “We went out a few times. He fell a little harder than I did, I guess,” she explained, feeling awkward just talking about the relationship she’d once had in front of Lex. “That night after fighting with my Dad, I stormed out of the house and realised I had nowhere to go. Jimmy’s place was close by, I knew he’d be a friend when I needed one. A little wine, a little panic over the situation we were entering into…” she said vaguely, and Lex cut in as he was want to do

“You confessed one too many things in the heat of the moment,” he guessed, his words a statement and not a question, though he’d missed a point in all this.

“That’s not all I did in the heat of the moment,” she said, eyes catching Lex’s own just for a moment, quickly searching for any sign that what she’d done mattered to him, but she wasn’t so sure she could see anything. “Anyway,” she said, looking away fast, “in the morning, I made Jimmy promise to keep my secret, which he did and has done all this time, but that didn’t stop him making me feel bad for what I was doing to him, and to myself,” she explained. “Apparently, in spite of everything, he’s still waiting for me, the stupid idiot,” she said with a shake of her head, eyes going to the floor, and then coming back up when she realised Lex had taken a step towards her and now stood incredibly close by.

“Never underestimate the lengths a man will go to when he’s in love, Chloe,” he told her a little too seriously for a moment.

A small and sad smile found its way onto his lips then, and he turned and walked out of the room just as quickly and purposefully as he’d come in, leaving Chloe alone to wonder at those words.


	13. Chapter 13

_Present Day - 15th December 2007_

“Alexander Joseph Luthor you are the most infuriating idiot I ever met!” Chloe yelled as she stood up from the hospital bed where her husband lay and walked a few steps away from him.

She hated this, all of it. She hated that she had been so stupid to hide her feelings from Lex, and that he had done the same. Similarly, it seemed they had both been oblivious to each others emotions, too busy were they trying to figure out what to do about their own messed up feelings!

Chloe knew she’d been a fool to marry Lex without telling him how she really felt, or was at least starting to feel. As for Jimmy, she’d been as big an idiot as anyone ever could be to fall into his bed the night before she signed that pre-nup. Still, for all the things Chloe could list in her head that she’d made an unholy mess of, it was Lex’s stubborn stupidity that was making her most mad.

“Well, thank you for your honesty, Chloe,” he answered wryly from his place in the bed behind her. “I suppose my assuming you might have more feeling for your ex-boyfriend than your fake husband was naive of me.”

“There it is!” she said, spinning around so fast she almost knocked herself over as she pointed an angry finger at him. “You’re doing it again, making assumptions, really, really stupid assumptions!” she accused him. “I just told you I don’t care about Jimmy. I’ve told you over and over and it’s not sinking in,” she said with a shake of her head. “For God sakes, Lex, don’t you see by now?” she said desperately.

Chloe had no tears left to cry, she was physically and emotionally exhausted through and through, and she was so sick of this ongoing battle to figure out what was happening between her and Lex and how best to make the next move.

“Lex.” She sighed, all fight gone from her as she dropped back down onto the edge of the bed beside him, his eyes searching her face for a hint of an explanation amongst all her loud and rambled accusations and such. “It’s like our entire relationship has been one giant chess game from Day One. The rules were new to me, but we started out okay. The further along we got, the more lost I found myself, and then... Oh, screw the analogy, Lex, why couldn’t you just know?” she asked him with a sad smile. “Why couldn’t you just have used that perceptiveness you’re usually so good at, and see that it’s always been about you?”

Staring up at her for a long moment, Lex let her words sink in before he answered her. He was hearing words he’d scarcely ever believed he would come to know from a young woman he’d began falling in love with the first day they met. It was genuine feelings she was expressing, he was sure of it, and knowing himself that his jealous and possessive streak was often his downfall, he was willing to believe he might just be paranoid and stupid over the Oleson boy. Still, in spite of the relief of finally hearing that Chloe cared for him, Lex was a little mad that she was trying to make this situation all his fault.

“Before lecturing me on my inability to respond correctly to any signals you might have been throwing my way, Chloe, you might consider that you could just as easily have told me how you really felt, instead of waiting for me to speak first,” he told her sharply, not meaning to let his temper get the better of him but almost unable to help it.

“You don’t think I thought about it?” Chloe almost laughed at the ridiculousness of his words. “Lex, I wanted to tell you so many times but... but I was as scared as you were,” she admitted. “Our friendship meant so much to me, and I knew our marriage was only supposed to be a business arrangement.” She shook her head. “Every time I convinced myself maybe if I just told you how I felt that you’d tell me you felt the same and it would all work out, you did something that proved to me that couldn’t be true.”

“Maybe at first,” Lex admitted, anger dissipating as he realised that it was somewhat ill-founded and not worth it if he was going to hurt Chloe more, “but later-” he started, only to be interrupted by the tearful young woman before him.

“Always, Lex!” she said firmly. “You know the last time I thought about telling you the truth? It was three weeks ago,” she admitted, recalling the day with mixed emotions.

“What stopped you?” Lex asked, knowing that although their relationship had continued to be rocky, they were far from at each other's throats then.

Chloe had a sad smile on her lips as she explained.

_Three Weeks Ago - 25th November 2007_

Chloe sat at the vanity table, staring herself out in the glass of the mirror. She and Lex had been getting on much better lately, not quite the best friends they used to be, but doing much better compared to the fights and pain of before. This ought to show her that they were better off staying as friends, since all the heartache had been caused during those times when they’d allowed themselves to get too close, in all kinds of ways.

Unfortunately, good sense had long since left the former Miss Sullivan, leaving her to function on pure emotion alone. Thinking too much about this situation always led her to the wrong decision. For once, she would let her heart decide and pray for a miracle. Lex was far from indifferent to her, they got along so well usually and as for phyicsal attraction, well, nobody was that good of an actor. He’d wanted her that night they were together, and at other times his kiss had been too convincing to always be fake. He had to feel something for her she had decided, and she certainly felt more than she could deal with for him.

Time was running out. In three weeks, it would be their second wedding anniversary, and on that day they would host a party. Said dinner and dance event was to turn into a blood-bath, the organised fight the most brutal they had staged so far and culminating in the ultimate step - ‘I want a divorce’. Following that, it was going to be impossible for the two of them to be seen in public together, and even private meetings had a habit of becoming known by all. Chloe and Lex would not even be allowed access to each other as friends without their plan being potentially exposed, and so it was now or never for Chloe to make her move.

Steeling herself against possible rejection, Chloe forced a smile onto her face and stood up from the stool, turning to head out of the bedroom and into the hallway. Striding purposefully towards Lex’s office she thought of all the good times the two of them had shared. The bad things were big and brutal and burned onto her memory like a brand that wouldn’t fade, and yet there were those uneventful days that were just perfect. Time spent together just talking and laughing, or going out on the town enjoying themselves. Chloe realised with regret that she had dwelt too much on the bad times, she’d let the good slip through the cracks of her memory until now. Still, there could be so many more happy events in her future, if only she could remain brave enough to talk to Lex about all this.

Chloe faltered a little outside the office door, taking a deep breath as her hand reached for the door knob. It was only now, her fingers inches from the handle, that she realised the door was slightly ajar, and that more than just her husband was in the room beyond it.

“Oh, Lex, you always were so... inventive,” said a woman in sultry tones that made Chloe want to vomit on the spot.

“Years of practice and a good imagination, it’s all the situation needed,” came Lex’s smooth reply, and although she knew it might be the biggest mistake of her life, Chloe let her curiosity get the better of her, peeking through the gap in the door, and expecting a much worse scene than she actually saw.

Nothing was happening, no kissing or touching, which was good. In fact, she could only see the woman and despite looking both high class and business-like, Chloe’s imagination ran wild as it was want to do. She didn’t want to believe that Lex was seeing another woman behind her back, but then they weren’t really married in the sense that they ought to be faithful, and she wasn’t fully convinced that he believed her over the whole Jimmy debacle.

“So, how much longer, Lex?” said the woman then, sipping from the glass she held in her manicured hand.

“Just a few weeks now,” he admitted, and without being able to see him at all, Chloe had only his tone to go on when he spoke of what she assumed to be their marriage.

Whether he sounded happy or sad that their agreement was almost over, Chloe couldn’t figure and she was almost too upset to let her brain try to comprehend what was happening here.

“And then you’ll be a free man.” The woman smiled like some kind of evil Cheshire cat, Chloe thought, as she walked purposefully across the room and out of view. “I’m sure more than one young lady will be only to pleased to have you available again,” she heard her say, though her tone had dropped to a low and almost whispered level.

Unable to listen to anymore, Chloe bolted from the door, back to the sanctuary of her bedroom, letting angry tears fall as she went. She ought to be stronger, ought to have barged in there and demanded answers, but what would be the point? It would all be over soon enough, and clearly that was all Lex wanted.

_Present Day - 15th December 2007_

Lex was trying hard to hide his smile behind his hand as Chloe reached the end of her explanation as to what she heard and why she rigidly believed the two of them had no chance together. He shouldn’t laugh and he knew it, but it was all so ridiculous. The two of them were so stupid and in so many ways, it was stunningly hilarious!

“What is wrong with you?” Chloe tried to resist exploding at him, aware that Lex was possibly pumped full of some kind of drug that was bringing on this odd reaction to her tale of his betrayal and her heartbreak.

“Chloe, if you only knew...” he said, shaking his head slightly, but resisting the urge to do so much as his head still ached from the blow it had earlier endured. “Melissa isn’t my lover, she’s my lawyer,” he explained, as seriously as he could. “She’s one of the Senior Partners from the firm, and she came to check something in the documentation we signed when we agreed to marry.”

“But...” Chloe began, feeling so very confused and fundamentally stupid.

“The conversation you heard was nothing more than business,” Lex swore to her, his looks serious now as he held tight onto her hand and stared into her eyes. “I swear to you, Chloe, your imagination got the better of you. Melissa is an attractive woman in her way, but I never seriously looked at her as anything but a business associate,” he promised, and though she’d love to believe him, part of the conversation she overheard stuck in her brain too vividly to be ignored.

“The last part could be business,” she admitted, hating saying she was wrong, but knowing that their butting heads on this on top of everything else would only end up giving her a bigger headache than they already had between them, “but what did you do for her that was so ‘inventive’?” she quoted, not terribly impressed by the smirk that reappeared on her husband’s face.

“I opened a bottle of water,” he said, as straight as he could, but Chloe turned her face away.

“Oh, please!” she said, with appropriate eyeroll. “Credit me with some intelligence, Lex!” she snapped.

“I’m serious, Chloe,” he assured her, and in spite of the bizarre nature of his words, she knew he was. “The lid was jammed so I tapped it on the edge of the desk and it opened. Apparently it was enough to impress the woman,” he said with a genuinely bemused shrug of his shoulders. “What can I say, some people are easily pleased?”

There was a long pause then as Chloe stared at Lex and he stared right back. He knew she was weighing this all up in her mind, as he had so many times before. Between them, they knew they’d been incredibly stupid and naive, a mean feat for a pair that were almost world-renowned for being intelligent and whip-smart. The serious gaze between them faltered at Chloe’s end first and Lex was somewhat surprised when she suddenly burst into ridiculously loud laughter, her hand covering her mouth as she practically choked from laughing so hard.

“Oh God!” she declared, fanning herself and fighting desperately to get her breath. “Have we really been this stupid?” she asked, still in hysterics over the whole thing.

A mixture of shock and emotions running too high had left her with nothing but this frighteningly beautiful sound of choked laughter, and though he wasn’t the type for fits of giggles, Lex almost found himself joining in, a grin creeping onto his face immediately he understood that they were going to be okay now.

“Unfortunately, yes,” he admitted, in answer to the question he was sure he wouldn’t have understood at all had he not known her long enough.

The two of them had been so terribly blind to miss what ought to have been obvious - the true nature of the feelings that existed between them always. The person who first coined the phrase ‘love is blind’ ought to be congratulated on a truly remarkable observation, it seemed.

“Lex, let’s not go on like this.” Chloe shook her head, laughter subsiding though her smile remained as she leaned over him, her hand going to his face. “For the first time in our whole marriage, can we please just be honest and open, because I don’t think I can take much more of this,” she said seriously as she gazed into his eyes. “I love you, Lex,” she told him, glad to have finally admitted it and to see him smile when she did so. “I always did, I always will, and it’s been killing me to not tell you,” she said, cut off from saying any more even if she’d wanted to as Lex reached for her and closed the gap between them.

Their lips met in a kiss they’d both waited an eternity for, a moment of true love that had been held back too long. It was one of those fairytale moments, that Chloe hadn’t really believed in until now, and she hated that it ever had to end. Though he would never admit to such girlish fancies, Lex was similarly reluctant to part from Chloe, and even when their lips were forced to part, they remained close, foreheads touching still.

“You know, on some level,” he said in a whisper, “I have loved you since the moment I first saw you... in that adorable little cocktail waitress outfit.”

He smirked annoyingly and though Chloe struck him in the chest for his comment, her punch was light and meaningless, as she leaned in for another kiss.

All that mattered now was that they’d finally figured out the mess that had been their faux-marriage. With a little luck and a definite effort towards honesty, it seemed that their relationship from here could be a much happier one, that wouldn’t require the divorce they’d spoken of before. Perhaps the union between them had never been as entirely fake as they’d let themselves believe. It certainly wasn’t now.


	14. Epilogue

_Six Months Later - 14th June 2008_

Chloe stood before the full length mirror in a dress she had worn only once before and smiled at the reflection that greeted her. The last time she had been in this situation she had thought she was ready for what she must face, but she had been wrong. Now she was fully prepared and ecstatic too as she thought of the future that now lie ahead. She and Lex were going to be so happy from here on out, and there were no doubts in her mind anymore that he loved her truly.

It had taken a while for him to heal from his accident, but Chloe had been by his side the whole time, helping him through it. Though the real truth was never told, the press and public watched as Mr and Mrs Luthor patched up their marriage, forget all talk of a divorce and go so far as to announce on Valentine's Day that they would be renewing their wedding vows at a recreation of their wedding in just a few short months.

A tap on the door pulled Chloe from her happy thoughts and she turned to see who was there, smiling widely at her cousin as she entered, and even more so at the man who lagged behind.

“Hey,” she greeted them shakily. “Is it stupid that I’m more nervous this time than last time?” She almost laughed at what she considered to be her own stupidity but two shaking heads told her she wasn’t so silly and that they understood.

“Sweetheart, you look beautiful,” Gabe told her, tears in his eyes as he held onto her hands and looked her over in her flowing white dress. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here for you before,” he said, as he pulled her into a hug and Chloe fought the urge to cry on his shoulder.

“It’s okay, Dad,” she assured him. “Even I wasn’t so sure I was doing the right thing last time, “but I swear I am now”

“I know, baby,” Gabe told her with a smile as they pulled apart and he wiped one stray tear from his daughter’s cheek.

“Hey, don’t you start crying there, missy!” Lois commanded. “If you go, I’ll go, and nobody wants to see a pair of zebra asses walking down the aisle!” she said firmly as Chloe went from hugging her father to her cousin.

Today was destined to be the most beautiful day of her life.

* * *

Lex thought he had been stunned the first time he saw Chloe walk down the aisle towards him, but today she’d taken his breath away all over again. On her father's arm, she was radiant and smiling bright as the sun. The love in her eyes for her husband was almost blinding and Lex knew as he gazed back at her that his feelings were as obvious for her, and he didn’t care if the whole world saw.

Vows exchanged, along with new rings, and sealed with a kiss, the ceremony went off without a hitch, much to the joy and relief of the happy couple and those few people that really cared about the two. No thought was given to lawyers or jealous ex-boyfriends. None of that mattered today, or ever again as far as Chloe and Lex were concerned.

Heading back to the mansion after the ceremony, a beautiful reception had been prepared, a celebration of love and marriage that clearly got to at least one other couple. Lois yelled so loud they should have heard her the whole length of Kansas, Chloe thought, as Clark was spotted down on one knee before her, the two engaged before the cake was even cut.

“Well, Mrs Luthor,” said Lex, as he turned to his bride with a grin rarely seen on his face. “I guess we should start things off with our first dance,” he told her, a glint in his eyes that made Chloe just slightly nervous.

“What have you done, Mr Luthor?” she asked him, expression caught between the grin that refused to shift and slight apprehension.

“Trust me?” he asked, holding out a hand to her expectantly.

“Always,” came the immediate reply as she put her own hand into his and allowed herself to be led out into the centre of the floor.

Lex cued the man in the corner of the room and Chloe was a little surprised to see a stereo switched on, rather than the orchestra picking up their instruments. God only knew what was about to happen, and she was entirely stunned to find herself dancing not to a classical piece, but the intro to an old eighties classic.

“Oh my God!” She laughed as she realised what the song was and what its significance might be.

_'You were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar, when I met you_  
_I picked you up, I shook you up, I turn you around, turned you into someone new'_

“It might not be completely accurate the whole way through, and it’s not exactly my usual choice of music,” Lex admitted, “but I hope I already know your answer to the question...” he said as the chrorus to the song kicked in.

_'Don’t you want me, baby? Don’t you want me? Ooohhh!'_

“Of course I want you, Lex,” she assured him. “I love you, for God's sake, and that’s not ever going to change,” she swore, kissing his lips as they continued to dance to the unlikeliest of songs.

_'The five years we have had have been such good times, I still love you'_

“You can stop smirking about your stupid surprise now, Luthor,” Chloe warned him. “Especially when I have an even bigger surprise for you,” she told him with a cocky grin that was distinctly similar to the one he often wore.

Lex looked at her curiously, almost a little nervous about what Chloe might’ve done or planned. He rarely liked surprises, though he couldn’t imagine anything she planned could be unpleasant. That didn’t stop Lex from possessing the apprehension he’d learnt to hold onto since he was a little boy.

_'Don’t you want me, baby? Don’t you want me? Ooohhh!”_

“How would you feel about an addition to the Luthor household?” Chloe smiled up at him. “You ready to be called Daddy yet?” she checked, watching the shock and the delight pass over his features.

“You’re pregnant?” he said, hardly able to believe he could be more happy than this, and yet it seemed there was room for just a little more to fill his heart. “You’re sure?”

“Believe me, I checked. A lot!” she said definitely. “Doctor says it’s for real this time. We’re going to have a baby, Lex.”

Pulling her further into his arms, Lex kissed his bride firmly on the lips, thanking her without words for the happiness she had brought into his life. His father’s death and the ultimatum that followed had led to some awful consequences, but his marrying Chloe was not really a mistake to Lex. They may have put their relationship through a lot of twists and turns, but it had all been worth it to get to this point, because he had honestly never known happiness like this in his life.


End file.
